Globe Telecom is trailblazing another technology in the country. In the late 90s, it pioneered text messaging. This time, it’s WiMax.

March 25 formally marked the birth of this wireless technology in the Philippines although it has been pilot-tested in Cavite four years ago.

Based on the IEEE 802.16 standard (also called Broadband Wireless Access), WiMax (stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) provides up to 3 Mbit/s wireless broadband speed and is meant to complement the Wi-Fi technology, if not to replace it eventually.

Under Globe’s promise of rolling out hundreds of WiMax sites, its latest offering of broadband network is deemed as the first and biggest 2.5GHz WiMax (802.16e, the current version) in South East Asia. The service is initially available in selected areas in South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The WiMax package is initially priced at P795 per month and comes with a money-back guarantee.

The yearend is the time to re-phrase New Year’s resolutions for most people. While excited for what the coming year has in store for us, we tend to forget to look back to the year that passed, see what were the things that we did best, and ask why some things went wrong.

I never set New Year’s resolutions for myself; I have this gratitude list instead:

1. At last, we have somehow weathered the oil and rice crises in the Philippines. Although 2008’s record-breaking inflation rate pumped up the gas prices and raised the demand for NFA rice, we were at least able to stabilize the production-consumption chain and to calm down the hypertensive market.

2. At last, the global financial slump is slowly fading away from news headlines and we are seeing an optimistic trend in the affected industries. Just a little more investor confidence here and political will there and the past year shall soon become just a memory of the past and a learning experience for the future.

3. At last, the Democrats are in, the Republicans are out. Enough said.

4. And at last, I’ve got a new job, my family is living somehow more  comfortably, and more people are beginning to appreciate what I can do and understand what I cannot.

2009 may look like just another year to spend, but you can make it how you want it to be.

Make it best. Make it happy. Make it your year!

It’s 11 hours before Christmas but I’m still here at the office catering to various concerns from other departments. Workaholic as it may seem, I can’t help but to make sure that no stone is left unturned before the year ends.

After all, no new year will start out right if the previous year is left in discord.

Wish me luck…

This past week, I was welcomed into the workplace whose challenges I was initially reluctant to take. At the treshold were smiling faces of hospitality who showed me the way to a happy nook amidst a world of nerds, nomads and number-crunchers. I never expected I would deserve a seat in CARD’s IT Department.

But there was I, installing several apps into brand-new Lenovo Thinkpads on my first day and IBM servers on the second. Minor troubleshooting for Trojans and worms also nudged my consciousness that I am just a kindergarten in the computing field. I was grateful, though, that the few IT workhorses that I met always had an ear and a hand to lend this novice.

Some claim that name-dropping is unfit in the spectrum of corporate ethics. But let me do it in good taste.

Kudos and thanks to Sir Egay for letting me feel one with the IT family, to Sir Rick for making my online pseudonym “Red” official, to Sir Rey for the patience, to Sir Jhed and Sir Homer for generosity, and to Sir Ian for the warm hospitality from office to staffhouse. Oh, did I forget to thank the polar bear (peace, man!)?

I am lucky to have known you, guys. Technological complexities, social expectations and workplace demands wouldn’t bother me anymore because I know that I am sharing space with people who care.

This is Red, now stepping in and signing on.

I have just finished my two-week pre-employment training at CARD MRI, an impressive group of seven (but will soon be ten) institutions borne out of the aggressive growth of CARD, Inc. (see www.cardbankph.com for more corporate info).

The training was structured with a 5-day “exposure” to field operations and another five days for lecture classes in its resort-style development institute in Bay, Laguna.

It was a company orientation, on-the-job training, self-discovery, team building and soul-searching rolled into one. The best part was that it’s free — complimentary food and accommodations, reimbursible transpo expenses and an in-depth look into the companies’ operations through competent trainors.

The “exposure” days brought me up-close and personal to the fragile support elements of our society — the rural women. Beyond the realizations of myself being on a higher step on the poverty ladder and of having access to better opportunities, I was particularly impressed by how much our mothers, sisters and aunties in the countryside are doing just so they can shape a better world for their families.

Suddenly, my personal outlook geared towards a progressive career path broadened to include social responsibility. I can only say much. But I hope I can do more.

This is the beginning of my new journey.