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          My name is Sheila Padon Pating. A third year college student at King’s College of the Philippines taking up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. In the future, I hope to work in the IT industry where I can expand my knowledge and skills. I am proud to be an Ikarao from Bokod, Benguet. I sometimes become moody and hot-tempered but sweet and understanding too. My personal interests include music, books and sports. My all-time favorite singer is Taylor Allison Swift, I like her songs especially her song “The best day”.  My favorite author also is Edgar Allan Poe with his short story “Tell-tale Heart”- it was an interesting slight-horror story. My favorite sports team is the San Antonio Spurs and I absolutely love when I get the chance to attend an NBA game someday. Haha 

 
          I am Annabelle Pilo Payangdo, a third year college student at King's College of the Philippines taking up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. I am proud to be Igorot I am from my beloved place where you can smile a fresh air and you can view many mountains, Lagawa Bauko,Mt.Province.Sometime I want to be alone and I hate noise, I am emotional, friendly, understanding and helpful to those who need my help if I can do it, I am open person. My interest includes music, dancing and sports. I like a person that is fun in joking. In future, I hope I can build a company where I can expand my knowledge and skills and to perform the things I learned.

Personal Philosophy on Professional ethics

    "Professional ethics for me is knowing what is right and wrong. And it’s up to the person if he/she will apply the good or the bad one in his/her own profession." - Sheila Pating 

      "For me professional ethics is where we study and examine our self in doing good or bad conduct. That may specific behaviors, within a person's personal or profession life." - Annabelle Payangdo

TOPIC:  Free internet yet consumers pay it expensively from ISPs

Supporting Articles : 

1.) MANILA - Why is Internet in the Philippines so slow?

 Senator Loren Legarda voiced out a common concern about unreliable and expensive Internet in the country. In a hearing of the Senate committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship, Legarda shared her frustration about poor Internet in her own home and office.The committee aimed to find out why Internet connection in the Philippines is slow and expensive and investigate its impact on doing business in the Philippines, following a resolution filed by Senator Bam Aquino. 

     Legarda told the committee that she has been experiencing bad Internet connection in her Senate office despite having a separate broadband Internet connection. She said that her 3G Internet from her iPad device is also not helping. 

      "As we speak now, there is no Internet connection in my office… I received a message this morning from my staff on my way here because I may be emailing, etcetera, 'Ma'am, walang Internet.' And for someone whose deadline was yesterday, I always want things done fast and I'm sure many of you want that efficiency too to serve our people better," Legarda said. "Despite that and all the shortcomings, ang mahal, mahal nang singil, bakit ganoon? Kung ang shortcoming o ang problema ay kasi kulang ng subsidy ang gobyerno, kasi outmoded ang batas, kasi ganito, e bakit mahal maningih ang service providers? Dapat iakma ninyo sa serbisyo ninyo," she said.          

      PLDT Smart Communications public affairs head Mon Isberto asked for the senator's account details to look into the problem.But Legarda said that she already called up the PLDT herself and spoke to the company's technicians and has also brought this up with the company's "higher officials" but the problem was not solved.          

Isberto surmised that there may be "physical problems" in the space that hinder access to Internet.      

     "It's very difficult for me to answer you at this point in time not knowing the facts of the case. So I could speculate as to there is a physical problem with here in the building regarding the lines. But I have to really have to take a look and check but if it's something that is affecting not just your office but other offices, then my suspicion would be in that direction," Isberto told Legarda.- abs-cbnnews.com  

2.) IS CONGESTION THE PROBLEM?      

        "What is the most basic reason or common reason why we experience poor service?" Aquino asked the panel.Congestion and inadequate infrastructure is being seen as a possible reason by the DOST.

        "Congestion in part of the link and it could be due to oversubscription of the service," said Engineer Denis Villorente of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)"Meaning, hindi na kaya ng infrastructure 'yung load ng sistema. There are too may people accessing and the infrastructure itself is not enough, is that what you mean?" Aquino asked. 

   "Yes. Somewhere in the system, there is a congestion that's being experienced because a lot of people are accessing or generating traffic," said Villorente, pointing out that adding capacity could be a solution. 

        PLDT's Isberto said that a network may already have "more than adequate capacity" but still experience congestion in a specific area due to the volume of Internet usage at a specific time, for example in concerts where the usage may be heavy. He said that adding cell cites to "augment capacity" is a solution.

       Globe's legal counsel Vicente Froilan Castelo said that telcos may also not be able to expand capacity in certain areas where they would not be allowed to do so, in exclusive villages, for example. 

       Globe nevertheless said that it has spent $700 million for the first phase of its 4G network, saying it is "gearing" towards making Internet faster and more reliable.Globe said that "easing up" regulations of local governments could promote investments to expand and improve network. 

      Isberto said Smart is targeting to cover all towns and cities with 3G and HSPA network by the end of the year that could provide Internet speed of about 7.2 mbps. This is aside from rolling out its LTE network to cover 45-50% of the population by yearend to improve Internet speed. 

     The National Telecommunications Commission cited "positive developments" that could improve Internet speed such as the use TV white space or the unused channels in analog TV, the implementation of digital TV, and new ISP satellite service that would allow users to get Internet connection through satellites. 

      NTC is proposing that the NTC be allowed to retain fees that it collects and use it to develop fiber networks and fund broadband network infrastructure.- abs-cbnnews.com  

3.) RECTO BILL   

      The committee also heard the bill filed by Senator Ralph Recto proposing to mandate Internet service providers and telecom companies to increase the minimum speed of their Internet service to 10 mbps.  

      Recto said that the Philippines has the slowest Internet speed in Southeast Asia with an average speed of 3.4 mbps.Aquino cited studies that showed the Philippines as among the countries with the most expensive Internet. 

       In the meantime, Isberto said that a "general solution" for telcos is to add their capacities by building more cell sites.  

      "The only General solution for that is for the operators to keep investing in their networks, magdadagdag ng capacity doon sa kanilang cell sites or magdadagdag sila ng mga cell sites. Kasi halimbawa, napuno na ho 'yung isang cell site, 'yung capacity ay hindi na sapat para doon sa demand doon sa isang specific area, ang gagawin dapat diyan at yun naman ho ang ginagawa naming ay magdadagdag pa ho tayo ng cell site para madagdagan ho 'yung buong capacity doon sa area na 'yun," Isberto told reporters.    

    "Ibig sabihin, the companies involved ay kailangang magbuo ng kanilang financial resources at mag invest doon sa capacity na ito. At 'yun naman ho ang ginagawa ng PLDT Smart and Sun. Depende sa pangangailangan ng kanilang mga subscriber base ay dinadagdagan ho ng capacity. Wala hong ibang solusyon kundi 'yun ho."    

    Committee chair Bam Aquino plans to call more hearings on the matter to discuss other possible solutions, adding that the committee has asked the NTC to confirm if congestion is indeed main reason behind the slow speed of Internet.    

     "Kung congestion ito na once in a blue moon kunwari nagka-concert, nagka-congestion. Or may PBA game, for example, at may congestion then maybe 'yun you can say at that particular time baka mahina ang ating internet. But if it's a regular type of congestion, araw-araw mong nararanasan, that's something that has to be addressed regularly," Aquino told reporters.    

      A suggestion to amend the law to make Internet service a basic service from its current status as a value-added service is being looked into to allow government to exercise some of regulatory powers over it.  

       "That can be one of the laws that can be amended na gawin nating basic service ang Internet. It is already recognized as a human right and if we make it a basic service, at least pwede natin talaga bantayan kung paano ito ikalat sa mas maraming Pilipino at the right cost at the right service level," Aquino said.- abs-cbnnews.com  

4.) Telcos to explain expensive but slow Internet at NTC hearing  

      MANILA, Philippines – The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has summoned major telecommunication players to a public consultation on the minimum speed of broadband connections.Subscribers have been complaining about the slow broadband services in the Philippines amid the free and unlimited Internet and Facebook offerings of major telecommunications providers. 

     The NTC is pushing for a legislation that would identify broadband as a basic service so that the government could regulate it.The country’s broadband service could not be regulated now since it is classified as a value added service (VAS) under Republic Act 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of 1995.  

     NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said in a notice of public consultation and hearing that the players should submit on or before November 4 their proposed changes to Memorandum Order No. 07-2011 or the minimum speed of broadband connections.The proposed amendments should include the parameters to be measured and period of measurement to be discussed in a public hearing on November 7.  

    Cordoba added that NTC and the major shareholders should agree on who would conduct the measurement, including the methods of mediation and arbitration in case of disputes.  

     The regulator is also drafting a circular to set the minimum standards, such as speed of broadband offerings.  

    The circular being prepared by NTC would also require telecom providers to remove or clarify terms such as “unlimited” or “up to” with regard to speed and size of data offered.  

    Cordoba previously said the NTC is set to roll out the benchmarking of the broadband services of telecommunication providers led by dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Ayala-led Globe Telecom Incorporated.    

     The regulator is seeking a P15.5 million ($345,704.22)* appropriation for the 2015 budget to buy a benchmarking equipment, including a vehicle for the broadband service of the telecommunications providers.  

   The benchmarking would help determine the quality of broadband service being delivered by such companies, Cordoba said.    

   To ensure that the telecommunication companies provide better service to their subscribers, NTC used to conduct quality of service benchmarking tests for voice calls and SMS for the voice calls and short messaging system (SMS) or text messages offered by PLDT’s Smart Communications and Ayala’s Globe.  The parameters set by the regulator for previous benchmarking tests included the blocked calls or grade of service, dropped calls, average signal level, and call setup time.Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, chair of the Senate committee on trade and commerce, said in a hearing last year that making broadband a basic service would allow the NTC to regulate it by imposing standards and pricing.    

    Aquino filed Senate Resolution 620, citing that the slow and expensive Internet connection is severely affecting the ease of doing business in the Philippines.Internet service providers (ISP) should deliver the same fast, consistent, and reliable service that they peddle in their big-budget advertisements, the DOJ said last September.  

     In a 9-page advisory signed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, the DOJ-Office for Competition said it will not hesitate to sanction ISPs that will shortchange their subscribers. – Rappler.com  

5.) The Real Reason Internet Access in PH is Slow and Expensive     

       Here’s one thing that the Philippine media won’t tell you why Internet access in the country is still crappy, slow and expensive. It’s because of our protectionism and restrictive economic policies that repel or scare foreign investors and benefit only the oligarchs, cronies and politically connected corporatists.  

     The country’s media and so-called intellectuals stay mum on this issue, because they’re either politically clueless or they simply want to keep the people blissfully ignorant.When it comes to this country’s economic prison, the only thing to blame is our protectionist, semi-socialist Constitution that is undoubtedly out of touch of economic and political reality.Globalization, which is the ultimate, logical result of technological development and of many countries’ free market reforms and openness to global trade, is something that the country’s constitutional framers ignorantly missed in 1986. Those who drafted the New Charter, who were undeniably highly schooled (not educated, because there’s a big difference between schooling and education), probably thought people in the future (which is today) would be as stupid and naive as they believed they were in the 1980s.  

     Indeed, the framers were as ignorant about technology and global business as the protectionist socialists today.  

     Now look at the illustration below that shows how economically open countries provide benefits to their people in terms of fast and less expensive Internet access.That simply shows the high price of our restrictive policies and protectionism. It hurts every common tao in the Philippines, and it only benefits the protected oligarchs and cronies.Protectionism leads to oligarchs and cronies cornering the country’s wealth. It means lack of competition, and lack of competition has painful economic costs.  

     This makes me think those who drafted the Constitution should be publicly executed for crimes against Filipinos. 

       In the Philippines, you need to pay $25 per month to have a 1mbps internet connection (according to Internet sources). There’s this company (Pinoy Telekom) that charges P35 per day for 2 and 5mbps. That’s P1050 per month or $26.Yes, Internet access here is as slow as our economy. It seems that it cannot go further than what a global economy requires due to our protectionism and restrictions. We’re indeed forever confined in an economic prison. - ITIF

     Meta-analysis:

           When Sen. Loren Legarda complained about the bad internet connection in her Senate Office and even in their home and she needs someone to explain that. The PLDT Smart Communications public affairs head Mon Isberto then said that there may be “physical problems” in the space that hinders the access to internet. Sen. Legarda was obviously not contented with the explanation when in fact Mon Isberto did not give a valid answer to Legarda. And the issue was not solved.

      President Aquino also asked the panel about the most basic reason or common reason why we experience poor service here in the Philippines. According to DOST Engineer Denis Villorente, the possible reason is the congestion and inadequate infrastructure wherein there are lots of people who are accessing or generating traffic in the system. And Isberto suggests that the possible solution would be adding of cell sites that would expand the capacity.

        Nevertheless, Globe has spent $700 million for the first phase of its 4G network, and is "gearing" towards making Internet faster and more reliable. On the other hand, Smart Communications is also targeting to cover all towns and cities here in the Philippines with 3G and HSPA network that could provide Internet speed of about 7.2 mbps.

        The NTC also cited “positive development” that could improve the speed such as TV whitespaces, unused channels in analog TV, etc. that would allow users to get internet connection through satellites. They also allowed the fees to be retained for the development of the fiber optics and broadband network infrastructure.

        Sen. Ralph Recto also filed a proposal to increase the minimum speed of the internet service to 10 mbps because the Philippines has the slowest internet speed in Southeast Asia with an average speed of only 3.4 mbps. So Isberto again said that there is no other possible solution than to add the capacity of the cell sites.

        Furthermore, Aquino said “that can be one of the law to be amended, that the internet will be a basic service to all Filipinos”. So that the government could regulate it and offer to all Filipinos to have a right cost at a right service level. Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, chair of the Senate committee on trade and commerce, said in a hearing that making broadband a basic service would allow the NTC to regulate it by imposing standards and pricing.

        Justice Secretary Leila de Lima also added that the ISP’s should deliver the same fast, consistent, and reliable service as what they are showing in their advertisements such as the free unlimited offers, and the promos.

        Lastly, according to the article of the ITIF(The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation), the real reason why internet access in here in the Philippines is slow and expensive is because we don’t have what we call “free market” or we have lack of competition . And the ISP’s are the one who gets the benefit.

      From those articles, there were different reasons why our internet connection here in the Philippines is slow and expensive but obviously, the solutions has not yet solved the issue until now.

      Case Studies:

1. You are a computer system manager. An employee out sick and another employee requests that you copy all files from the sick person’s computer to theirs so that they can do some work. What do you do?
2. You work for one of the large credit card companies. Someone asks you to get a copy of a person’s file. He will pay you R1000. What do you do? Who are the stakeholders? What alternative actions are open to you? Which are ethically prohibited or obligatory?
A variant of the scenario:You know another employee sells files with people’s personal information. Again, what do you do?
3. You are the manager of a university computer system that provides computer accounts and email facilities to students. You discover that a handful of students have been spamming the entire class and sending junk email to all of the email aliases. You are unable to find out exactly who these students are as they are using a facility out with the university and posting anonymously. What do you do?

      The Interviews

          

   
      Our own point of view on the scenarios:

Sheila’s POV 

1. The employee’s purpose might be good but being a computer system manager doesn't give me the permission to do such act. The sick employee’s privacy will be disregarded when I do copy his/her files. The employee may ask permission from the general manager or contact first the involved person as well. 

2.    Releasing another file from the credit companies are risky, may it be for public or private interest. There are rules and regulations in doing such and conforming to these rules may permit me to release files.
The stakeholders are those people who are involved in the company including its funders, employees especially me, and customers who are entitled to privacy and privileges.Some alternative actions which may be offered could be undergoing the ethical procedures in releasing files like asking for authorization first from the owner or the higher authority.Of course the ethically prohibited is the copying of files in exchange with an amount of money which can be considered as bribery also. R1000 maybe a big amount but my job is also at risk. 

3.    Being a manager of university computer system knows how to control or manage the flow of the system accounts. I would rather block those accounts that are not registered within the university or those anonymous accounts that are coming outside.

Annabelle’s POV 

1.    I will not let another employee to copy all files, if I don’t have the authority to let them copy the files. Even if they are saying that they need that they if it is possible to have it by tomorrow to ask first the sick employee. Need to ask first the employee out sick if I can let the other employee copy ,because if I just let them copy that I did not even ask the person who is evolve in that it may cause problems in that company. 

2.    I will not give what is the person asking me to give, because for me I want to do a better work to be rich not to put myself in danger that any time they can arrest me, if I give what the person asked, I am not perfectly sure that the person will keep it secret .
The stakeholder is me as the person who is involve and know the information in that company and the one who is trying to pay me for just him or her to copy the files.
The alternative action that are open to me are copying files just to buy to others and to accepting the payment for others to know the information in their competitive company doing this things are not good and we all know that is bad. The ethically prohibited is the thing that you are copying other’s files to sell and a person that are trying to buy other’s files.  I will report to the one who have the authority and to those have higher position.

3.    I try to make a program that will detect who is the one doing that spamming other’s email. Will try my best to protect others privacy. And I will ask authority to talk to the student to tell them that we have to respect individual’s privacy and to be respected also in the saying that “Do unto others what you want that others do unto you”.