Philippine Blockchain Week width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"> The Philippines, a developing country in Southeast Asia, is gaining traction in the global digital space. A report from Chainalysis.com has listed the Philippines as the second leading country in blockchain adoption—thanks to Filipinos’ growing interest in the space and its massive adoption of play-to-earn games. The country’s President, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., has pushed for digitalization and the use of new technologies in the government to ensure efficient and fast delivery of services to the public. Blockchain, the emerging technology behind Bitcoin, is one of the new technologies that government agencies are exploring. In this episode of BSV Stories , we get a glimpse of initiatives by the government, businesses, and both public and private institutions as the country catapults itself into becoming a digital nation. Digital transformation is a priority in the new administration , according to the new administration. In light of this, the country’s central bank, The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), has expressed its full support to help implement legislative bills about the digitalization of the nation. As Assistant Governor Edna Villa told me, “we are doing a lot of things in the government, in particular also […]

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Digital Transformation 2.0 (DT 2.0) is an extension of the first wave of digital transformation, which was primarily focused on automating existing business processes and enhancing customer experiences. DT 2.0 pertains to utilizing emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to create innovative business models, streamline operations, and derive valuable insights from data. It represents a more comprehensive approach to digital transformation, where technology is not merely a tool to achieve specific objectives, but rather an integral part of the organization’s strategy and culture. DT 2.0 offers several significant advantages, including improved agility, better decision-making, enhanced customer experiences, and the potential to generate new revenue streams. However, it also poses notable challenges, such as the need to acquire new skill sets and the possibility of disrupting existing business models. Especially today, in the era of DT 2.0, the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, Hyper Intelligent Automation , Blockchain , Metaverse , and Quantum Computing on Cloud-native applications will unlock new opportunities for enterprises and is poised to grow to a massive USD 1.6 Tn market by 2030. The key elements for enterprises to take digital transformation to the next level would be focusing […]

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HONOLULU — Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has distributed $170,000 in grants to fund community organizations providing economic opportunities to food-related small business owners, underserved individuals, and women executives. Feed the Hunger Fund will use its $70,000 grant to provide women, low-income, and immigrant entrepreneurs of food-related small businesses with access to capital, technical assistance, and networks that help to increase their income and build their assets. As businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, many are now seeking capital to grow. FTHF is providing smaller food enterprises with financial and technical resources that will increase Hawaii’s food security and economic health. “Food is health, Food is security” is FTHF’s first grant/loan program in Hawaii targeted to better serve food system entrepreneurs who have previously had a hard time accessing capital. Goodwill Hawaii will receive $50,000 to train its staff to support disadvantaged and underserved program participants with financial literacy. Staff will be trained to support participants’ financial goals, identify candidates who may need further assistance, and provide referrals to financial coaching and external financial professionals. Program participants are overcoming significant barriers to work, such as histories of homelessness and incarceration, recent immigration, and limited English proficiency. YWCA O‘ahu will receive $50,000 […]

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An upcoming 4-H Exploration Days session will educate young people about a day in the life of a dairy farmer while fostering employability skills. Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash Farm life. The cows got out and you have to pay the neighbors for damage done… It is time to pay taxes… You just inherited livestock from a family member…Corn fields need fertilizer before planting…The hay is ready to bale… And you just received your milk check, kind of like payday! Does this sound like everyday life on the farm? Being your own boss, working outside and inside, balancing an income with expenses – very possibly! “Farm Livin’ is the Life for Me!” is a session offered at Michigan State University Extension ’s 4-H Exploration Days that centers on the board game “Life on the Farm.” Attendees will dive into a day in the life of a dairy farmer. Experience living and working on a dairy farm and find out about the many opportunities to work in the field of agriculture and natural resources. In addition to learning about the education, jobs and careers associated with the agriculture industry, youth will get to play interactive games and work through […]

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The New York State Public Service Commission recently authorized major upstate electric utilities to develop 62 local transmission upgrades to help integrate large scale renewable energy projects into the state’s electric grid. These changes are expected to speed the process toward the state’s 70% goal of renewable energy generation by 2030 outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The move is a recognition that renewable generation output in the three upstate regions has been bottlenecked due to lack of adequate transmission capacity. To meet its aggressive energy goals, New York is investing more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.8 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. “The Commission recognizes the need to address congestion in certain parts of the State where renewable energy is already bottled and where additional generation projects are in development or likely to be developed in the future,” Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said. The Commission approved requests from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, National Grid […]

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Then-U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad greets Chinese President Xi Jinping, a long-time friend. (Courtesy of Land Investment Expo) Former U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad said the Iowa Legislature must walk a “fine line” with bills that would restrict investments by Chinese and Iowa governmental entities. The Iowa House and Senate are moving to ban various forms of investment between the state and the People’s Republic of China. Examples of restrictions include the ownership of real property by Chinese nationals and investment of public and state board of regents funds in companies that are owned or controlled by the Chinese military or government. Iowa and China have a long, storied connection stretching back to the mid-1980s, when then-Gov. Branstad and then-provincial official Xi Jinping met during a trip to study American agriculture. It has continued since then. “One of the things I did as governor is I traveled the world to try to not only market our products, but also to encourage investment,” Branstad said. “I think it’s a fine line the Legislature needs to thread, to try to protect our interests, but not be so restrictive as to prevent economic development opportunities that will create good jobs […]

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House Small Business Republicans, led by Chair Roger Williams of Texas, sent letters to 25 agencies Wednesday. | Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP Photo By Zachary Warmbrodt 02/23/2023 08:44 AM EST House GOP lawmakers are launching a sweeping oversight effort aimed at ferreting out how agencies across the federal government weigh the potential impact on small businesses when crafting regulations. House Small Business Republicans, led by Chair Roger Williams of Texas, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri and Rep. Beth Van Duyne of Texas, sent letters to 25 agencies Wednesday about their compliance with laws that require them to analyze the effects of new rules on small employers and to produce compliance guides for those firms. The committee’s push is designed to shield small businesses from burdensome regulation. The targets include the EPA, the DOL, the IRS and the CFPB. In the letters, committee Republicans cite examples where they said agency regulatory work has fallen short when it comes to small business impact. Why it matters : The investigation by Williams, who owns a car dealership, is part of a broader House Republican oversight campaign that’s digging into agency work across the Biden administration. What’s next : Williams said in a statement that […]

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Johnson County boasts the most economic growth in the Kansas City metro area, according to recent GDP data. Johnson County’s 2021 real GDP was about $48 million, up from $46.2 million in 2020. In 2019, its real GDP was $46.3 million. That’s according to an analysis by The Business Journals of the latest gross domestic product county data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis , which provides new insights about the economic recovery from Covid-19. Of a ranking of Missouri and Kansas counties, St. Louis County came in at No. 1 in Missouri. Jackson County ranked No. 2, with a 2021 real GDP of $44.1 million, up from $41.9 million in 2020. In Kansas, Sedgwick County was No. 2, with Wyandotte County at No. 3. Wyandotte County’s 2021 real GDP was $10.9 million, an improvement over $10.8 million in 2020. More than 77% of counties across the nation posted GDP growth between 2020 and 2021 as the economic recovery ramped up, a trend that fueled substantial hiring — which in turn eventually contributed to labor shortages, pay growth and inflation. The average county posted a 3.3% increase. The national GDP increased 5.9% between 2020 and 2021 to $19.4 trillion. […]

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Wockhardt plans to trim $12 million in annual expenses by restructuring its U.S. business and shuttering its Morton Grove, Illinois, manufacturing facility. As part of the U.S. restructuring, the company is tapping third-party contract manufacturers to produce some of its high-margin products. In a slide presentation (PDF) filed with the Bombay Stock Exchange, the company said it will continue to “maintain sales with 40% gross margins.” Additionally, the company said it will remain focused on growing its novel antibiotics market share and that its operations in the U.K. will continue to expand. Meanwhile, as part of a vaccine manufacturing deal with the Serum Institute of India, the company has received a £10 million ($12 million) “contribution” for reserving production capacity of 150 million doses over 15 years. The company will help manufacture Serum vaccines at a fill-finish facility currently under construction in Wrexham, North Wales. Under that deal, the Serum Institute has already identified two vaccines of interest, Wockhardt said. Pending regulatory approvals, Wockhardt plans to begin batch production in the next 8 to 12 months at the new facility. Last August, as part of a consent decree (PDF) with the U.S. Department of Justice, Wockhardt said it would […]

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America’s Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases that could potentially undermine the business model of social-media companies . In Gonzalez v Google the parents of a woman who was killed in a terror attack on Paris in 2015 claim that YouTube aided the terrorists by recommending the group’s videos to users. The case focuses on the legal protection from liability given to internet companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. In Twitter v Taamneh the family of a man killed in an attack in Istanbul in 2017 allege that Twitter, Google and Facebook should be held accountable for spreading terrorist propaganda. The court’s decisions are expected in June. Pay for your security Meta launched a subscription service on Facebook and Instagram that verifies the authenticity of accounts and protects users from impersonation. The service, which is being tested in Australia and New Zealand, is similar to Twitter’s blue-tick system. Social-media companies are looking for ways to increase revenue to offset smaller returns from advertising. The disappearance in China of the head of a bank that has invested heavily in the country’s big tech firms sent a chill across the industry and the business elite. […]

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