ZOTO-ADOC Blog Competition

Last October 11, 2010, the APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) Secretariat in Chinese Taipei announced the country champions for the first round of the ADOC 2.0 blog competition. In the Philippines, the Samahan ng Mamamayan – Zone One Tondo Organization (SM-ZOTO) was declared country champion besting 6 other teams in the process.

The Samahan ng Mamamyan – Zone One Tondo Organization is the oldest urban poor federation in the country today. It is composed of 646 local urban poor organizations with 32,777 members working within 28 relocation sites in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

It envisions a society of economically and politically empowered citizens who are accorded their due dignity, who foster gender equality and democracy and live in a healthy and bountiful environment.

One of its programs, the computer literacy program under the children and young people’s program, is being supported by ADOC. As an ADOC supported organization, it is eligible to join the ADOC 2.0 blog competition.

The ADOC 2.0 blog competition is a process of searching for stories of people who underwent ICT related trainings and graduated from an ADOC sponsored center. An ADOC sponsored center is built on the main objective of ADOC 1.0 and 2.0 projects that is to reduce digital divides in the APEC region by enabling people to overcome technological limitations due to age, gender, health, social or education status, and to enjoy the 4A (anytime, anyone, anywhere, anything) benefits of the digitalization.

In the different centers, a wide range of ICT training programs are being provided, tailored to the needs of partner economies and focused on the disadvantaged groups in remote areas, including women and children.

The blog competition features and highlights stories of people who became involved and are now using their new found knowledge and skills to make a difference in their lives, to better their situation.

In choosing the country champions, ADOC 2.0 Secretariat used 3 indicators. The first indicator being the number of successful stories submitted by the competing center, next is the number of successful stories submitted by the competing center and last is the total points of on-line voter’s opinion.

Being declared as a country champion, the Samahan ng Mamamayan – Zone One Tondo Organization (SM-ZOTO) is now competing at the international level. In the international level, 8 Participating Member Economies (PME) or countries are competing and these include Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Peru, Chile and the Philippines.

To be declared as the final winner of the competition, each PME blog entry will be evaluated through (1) Online Voting 50%; (2) Press Promotion 20%; (3) ADOC Secretariat Auditing Meeting 30%. With these, SM-ZOTO as the Philippines’ country representative is in need of the support of all. To vote, go to www.apecdoc.org, register and go to the page on blog competition.

The prizes from the competition will be utilized as part of the expansion of the computer literacy program of the organization. The expansion will cater to those urban poor communities in relocation sites such as Towerville in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan and those victimized by the Typhoon Ondoy last 26th of September 2009 and the Navotas Fire last 26th of August 2010.

Also, it will be used not only to expand the program but to expand the courses offered as well. One of the courses intended to be developed are on e-Commerce. This way, community produced like vegetables, fruits and other products can be marketed locally and globally through on-line technology. This is on the lines of urban poor communities in relocation sites are trying to developed alternative means of “putting food on the table” and embarking on social enterprises while doing so. Example of such is the backyard/ herbal garden being piloted in Towerville.

Another expansion is on developing a course tailor made for the needs of OFWs, displaced workers and those up for employment. In bridging the digital divide, it is important to connect people and to make technology work for them especially that these people are the backbone of our economy. Capacitating them increases economic chances for recovery.

We are encouraging everyone to cast their votes and join in the triumph of bridging the digital divide! But more than helping the organization through your votes, we do hope that you will be inspired by the stories of the real people who took part in the program and whose lives have been changed.

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