Internet User's Guide to E-Commerce Policies

I have been curious about e-commerce ever since I heard about it many years ago! And I have been wanting to know more about it. Fortunately there is now a book that has been published, entitled Internet User's Guide to E-Commerce Policies, which is the first book in the E-commerce for Entrepreneurs series written by Ms. Janette Toral of DigitalFilipino.com. We need this kind of reference and guidance as current and future e-entrepreneurs so that we will not be e-dealing in the dark, and to be able to do commerce within legal bounds. At the same time it is good to be well informed about what we can do in case something not so pleasant happens. So this book will be a welcome addition to information on e-commerce stuff, which is still insufficient to address the many issues related to e-commerce esp. on legislation. Kudos to Ms. Janette for all her efforts in coming up with this series.

Here is a preview of the book's contents:

* Chapter 1: Introduction
* Chapter 2: Becoming an I.T. Policy Advocate & Lobbyist

* The E-Commerce Law
o Chapter 3: E-Commerce Law
o Chapter 4: E-Commerce Law IRR
o Chapter 5: Rules on Electronic Evidence

* SME Policies
o Chapter 6: Financing for Information Technology Build-Up (SME-FIT)
o Chapter 7: Government Procurement Policy Board Resolution No. 07-2006

* Consumer Protection
o Chapter 8: Data Log Retention of Telecommunications Traffic (NTC)
o Chapter 9: DTI Administrative Order #8: Prescribing Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Data in Information and Communication Systems in the Private Sector
o Chapter 10: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Circular No. 542: Consumer Protection for Electronic Banking
o Chapter 11: Consumer Protection Guidelines (NTC)
o Chapter 12: Advertising Standards Code
o Chapter 13: Internet and Mobile Advertising Code of Ethics

* E-Government
o Chapter 14: DTI-DOF Joint Administrative Order #2: Guidelines Implementing R.A. 8792 on Electronic Payment and Collection System (EPCS) in Government
* Chapter 15: Copyright
* Chapter 16: Cybercrime
* Chapter 17: E-Commerce Policy Implementation Challenges
* Chapter 18: Moving Forward

She is giving 100 free copies of the book. Read more about the give-away rules and the Internet User's Guide to E-Commerce Policies book here.

life's refrain

this is the title of the first book i self-published. i made this for my mom and sis who celebrated their birthdays last 12 nov. my mom turned 75 while my sis turned 40. it was an exciting time as i was able to go home, together with my three other sisters who live in other provinces in the philippines. another sister lives next door to my parents. so there were five of us sisters at the same time at home and what a riot! our two other sibs, another sis and our bro were not able to come home. the pic on the right is the cover of the book. the featured bouquet is a special one.

for my dedication page, i wrote this:

For Mom and Dad,

for all the whispers of joy in the midst of life’s chaos, contributing to life’s refrain

i wrote the following for the preface:

I was planning to call this book something else, with the word ‘stuff’ in it. However, Key said that ‘stuff’ sounds so boring. Then we said that we should get a line from one of the poems or essays in the book. Thus, life’s refrain. If life were a song, I hope that the poems and essays in this book can be its refrain. Just hum it and add la, la, la … The idea of putting these on paper came up as my siblings and I were planning to celebrate our Mom’s diamond birthday this year (2008). Seventy-five years … not just golden but diamond years. Precious, best, forever …

A sister (Marlyn) also shares the same birthday with her. I remember that time way back in November 1968 when we were all expecting Mom to give birth to Marlyn. She waited until the 12^th to come out.

My prayer is that through my writings I can convey my love and appreciation for my Mom and my sis, and to all family members.

May your lives be guided by the Lord Almighty day by day and that each day will be filled with gladness and joy as you trust in Him.

PANEL DISCUSSION ON GROWING UP IN HISTORIC FILIPINOTOWN

I received this announcement from Philippine Expressions Bookshop:

PANEL DISCUSSION ON GROWING UP IN HISTORIC FILIPINOTOWN

Saturday, October 18, 2008
4:00pm - 7:00pm

Remy's Art Gallery
2126 West Temple Street near Alvarado
Los Angeles (Street parking only)

Free and Open to the public.

Due to limited space, RSVP is requested.
(310) 514-9139 or email

Remy's Gallery is the same venue of the traveling photo exhibit, Singgalot: The Ties That Bind which is ongoing. This Smithsonian-sponsored exhibit on Filipinos in America ends on Sunday, October 26 and people who will attend the panel discussions will also have a chance to view the Exhibit.

Gerald Gubatan, an urban planner by training heads the panel of four who will discuss their experiences growing up at different periods of time in Temple Street area, before it was declared Historic Filipinotown. Born and raised in the Temple-Beverly area in the 1960s-1970s, Gubatan attended Belmont High School in the 1970s and later on went to UCLA. Currently a Senior Planner with L.A.'s Community Redevelopment Agency, Gerald has served as Chief Planner and Legislative Deputy for various elected officials in Los Angeles City Hall and Sacramento. He is founding Board President of Fil-Am Arts; former Board President of SIPA, Inc.; and a charter member of the Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats (PALAD).

Other members of the Panel include authors Noel Alumit, Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier and Carina Monica Montoya also known as Carina Forsythe who will autograph their books during the event. The panelists will share their memories of life in the area, their challenges growing up in an enclave and their own visions of the future of Historic Filipinotown. Also invited as resource persons are stakeholders of Historic Filipinotown: Susan Dilkes FASGI), Joselyn Geaga Rosenthal (Remy's Art Gallery), Joel Jacinto (SIPA) and Rose Ibañez (Filipino American Library) and their representatives.

Noel Alumit is a Los Angeles Times Bestselling author. His recent work, a gay-themed novel, "Talking to the Moon" is set in Historic Filipinotown. His family moved into the area in the 1970's and never left. His first novel, "Letters to Montgomery Clift" won the Stonewall Book Award and Violet Quill Award. Alumit studied playwriting at the David Henry Hwang Writers Institute at East West Players. His one-man show, The Rice Room: Scenes from a Bar was voted one of the best solo shows of the year by the San Francisco Gay Guardian and played to sold-out houses across the country. He's proud to be on this panel exploring life in his childhood neighborhood.

Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier's family had lived in Temple Street from 1941 to 1953. Her Filipino grandmother on her mother side was from Baguio. While growing up, her best friend was Rita Hernandez who became Pilar Surat, an actress, then married a Director/Producer named Devlin. Surat passed away years ago; her son is also a Director/Producer in Hollywood. Bonnievier has a B.A. in English Literature, an M.A. in Cross Cultural Education and had attended a doctoral program in Theater and American Literature. Her various experiences include serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malaysia and as a member of the teaching staff at the University of San Francisco, the University of Denver, John Hopkins University and more recently, at UC-Irvine. She has led writing workshops for members of the World Bank in Washington, DC. and had taught language arts in Japan, Germany and Spain. Her first book, "Autobiography of a Stranger" (Times International, Singapore) was used as a text in a Women Writers' Course at Old Dominion University in Virginia. Bonnivier’s second novel, "Seeking Thirst", will be released in a few months and she is now on her third novel, "Force Field Ancestors".

Carina Monica Montoya spent most of her growing years in and around the corridor of Hoover/Temple/Parkview/Union/Carondelet Streets. Her mother was active with the old St. Columban Church, Filipino Community Center (now FACLA), Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Association, Philippine Women's Club, and the Caballeros De Dimasalang. As a child, she attended all their events, including being a candidate for their Miss Philippines contest in 1970. Her interest in local history is personal; her father was one of the first young Filipino men to arrive in Los Angeles and find work in Hollywood. She had collected vintage images of early Filipinos and the memoirs of Filipinos in Hollywood span more than 80 years, dating back to early 1920s. She compiled and edited this photographic history which is the the subject of her book, "Filipinos in Hollywood". Her second book, "Historic Filipinotown" in Los Angeles is forthcoming. She attended CSU-Los Angeles, and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in American History. When not doing historical research, Montoya is a Judicial Assistant to a US federal judge in downtown LA. She is also an active reservist in the US Navy, having been recalled to active duty in 2001-2003 to support the fight against terrorism in Operations Noble Eagle and 'Enduring Freedom'.

Signed copies of their books are available by mail order, if you are unable to attend the event. The Panel Discussion is sponsored by Philippine Expressions Bookshop as part of their ongoing outreach program, in collaboration with the Singgalot Host Committee. For those interested in the schedule of the Singgalot Exhibit, please call Remy's (213) 484-2884 for more details.

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Philippine Expressions Bookshop
The Mail Order Bookshop dedicated to Filipino Americans in search of their roots. We blazed the trail in promoting Philippine books in America. 2008 marks our 24th year of service to the Filipino American community. Thank you for your support. Mabuhay !

Chamchuri Square on a Saturday

I spent my whole Saturday afternoon at Chamchuri Square, a.k.a. Edutainment Gateway, in Bangkok. My dear hubby had a meeting there so I tagged along as I have never been to this place. Both of us have never been there although we have passed this building a few times along Rama IV Rd. while it was still under construction. This commercial/residential project is owned by Chulalongkorn University. The complex itself has changed the whole landscape of the area, which used to have old shophouses selling noodles and other stuff. From the outside you can see the contrast between the old city feeling on the one hand, and the new, cosmopolitan, chic atmosphere on the other.

As we entered the complex, we were directed to the parking building. The meeting venue was on the 3rd floor so we went to park on that floor. Good that we were able to find a parking space. We had about 30 minutes to spare before the meeting. We stopped at a coffee bar nearby and we had the typical thai toasted bread with pandan cream. I ordered hot Japanese green tea while Key ordered espresso. Then he was off to his meeting and I was all by myself, with the whole mall to be explored.

As this Square is an "edutainment" complex, you can quickly notice that there is something different here from the other malls. For one, most of the people roaming or hanging around are young, mainly students from Chulalongkorn University. And the older ones are probably faculty members. Also there are a number of kids probably enrolled in special classes in learning centers located at the Square. There are also a number of bookstores such as Asia Books, Se-ed, Naiin, Nanmee, etc. Unfortunately, B2S bookstore has no branch there. I wanted to buy some books there using the B2S gift certificate which I won from The Bangkok Post.

My first target was to visit a bookstore. So I went to Asia Books as I am a member there and I was sure to find English books. I browsed through the many books they have. In the fiction section, they had a shelf of booksellers and others by popular authors. I had most of the chick lit they have which I could buy from a second hand bookshop (Dasa Books in Sukhumvit) so I decided to buy something else. Finally I settled on a book entitled, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards. The book is about a man who abandons his Down syndrome baby. It was in the NY Times Paperback bestsellers' list in 2006 and a film has been done on it. I am waiting for the DVD so I can watch it. With bookstores left and right, who could resist not buying a book? Thus I was happy to buy this book and I got a 10% discount as a member. Now I have something to read while waiting for Key.

Then next I moved around until I got to the basement. As I was on the escalator on the way down, I saw tables full of students with papers, notebooks, books and laptops, studying, reading, discussing. At first I thought maybe I was in a library of sorts. But the direction board says "Raintree Food Center" that's why I decided to go there so I can sit and read my book. It just seemed strange and I remember that since this is near the university of course there will be students here. Studying. That's why this place looks different from other malls. When I reached the basement I went to buy a fruit smoothie (apple and cantaloupe, no ice, no milk, no yoghurt, no syrup). The seller asked me how she could blend them together without the syrup? I told her to just use some water. It cost me 50 baht.

So there with my fruit smoothie I chose a table with a comfortable seat and started reading my book. I sat there for more than an hour. The book has some sad moments and I had some tears but since I was in a public place I tried to control myself. Anyway I felt that I was not in Thailand then. I could be in any other place like in the Manila or Singapore. I decided to go up to the 3rd floor again and see if Key has finished their meeting. Not yet. So I went back to the 2nd floor to go to Coffee World where I ordered Mocha Coffee without the whipped cream. I am happy to know that they have a branch here and this is one of my favorite coffee shops. I just wanted to drink something hot as I was really feeling cold. I was thinking that they could save a lot of energy by adjusting the AC but this is Thailand. Hope they will realize it soon and adjust the temperature to an acceptable level.

I sent a text message to Key where I was. After another hour or so he came to the coffee shop. Then we had dinner there at the basement before finally going home. At 8 pm, we arrived at our condo where our laundry was waiting!