Light Rail Transit (LRT) Holy Week schedule 2012

	Press Release
	March 12, 2012 Ref       :           Atty. Hernando T. Cabrera                         LRTA Spokesperson                         854-0452/ 506-6129                         0920-9703772                        Evelyn E. Paragas                         Manager, Public Relations Division                         854-0452/ 506-6129                         0917-8725631
	LRT announces Holy Week schedule
	In line with Department of Transportation and Communications’ Ligtas na Kuaresma Program for the upcoming Lenten Season, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Authority today announced its operating schedules for the upcoming Holy Week, from 4-8 April 2012. Both LRT 1 and 2 train lines will be closed from 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4 until April 8, Easter Sunday for the annual maintenance work on the systems. Line 1 runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City, while Line 2 stretches from Recto in Manila to Santolan in Pasig City. "In observance of the annual Holy Week, we are suspending our commercial operations starting at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4,” said Engr. Emerson L. Benitez, LRTA Officer-In-Charge. “During this period, we will conduct maintenance works for the two lines.” Benitez said this will involve the cleaning and checking of all LRT facilities, systems and equipment, and replacement of catenary wires, and rail ballasts along critical segments. Normal operations will resume on April 9, Monday at 5:00 a.m, which is also a public holiday in commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan.

Can Robots Make Amazon a Better Place to Work?

When you place an order on Amazon.com and a package ends up on your doorstep a few days later, you may not consider it what it took to get it there. The logistical systems that enable massive online retail are built on human labor, and an industry of factory "pickers" exists to scoop books, shampoo, and whatever else you order off warehouse shelves and into cardboard parcels.
Journalist Mac McClelland ventured into one of these packing facilities to experience life as a “warehouse wage slave,” and discovered that the experience is physically trying: Impossible quotas and uncomfortable working conditions—not to mention precarious job security and unfair labor practices—leave the pickers who scramble around the warehouses in a position of near-exploitation. But the workers need these jobs to support their families and themselves.
A big part of the problem is worker misclassification: temporary, contract workers treated like full-time employees without receiving the same protections and compensation. Better enforcement of labor laws (and stronger protections for workers) can make a difference.
But another problem for these workers is the nature of the job: The only way to get more productivity out of workers is for them little to run faster, bend over more often, and take fewer breaks. Amazon is becoming increasingly sensitive to these issues (and the costs of employees). Yesterday, it announced the purchase of Kiva Systems, a company that makes warehouse robots already in use at retailers like Zappos and Staples. These robots are a force multiplier for workers, allowing one person to do the work of many without moving around so much. Check out this video:

If Amazon can utilize this technology and, more importantly, improve it by integrating its logistical distribution partners directly with the robot manufacturer, we could see higher-quality jobs for the people who make online retailers work.
But more automation on the floors of these warehouses also means fewer jobs for people, and despite the current conditions, people need jobs. That’s a big problem that can’t be corrected at just one business, but it’s a reminder that a macro-level problem deserves macro-level attention from the government, which has the tools to ramp up demand, re-train more workers, and reward innovation.

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Development Bank of the Philippines - Loan Application

So business is doing good. What's next? thinking of bringing it to the next level?

 

Getting Started

Borrowing requirements and procedures vary from bank to bank. But the procedures described here will illustrate what can generally be expected when an entrepreneur approaches a bank to obtain credit, i.e. get a loan.

It is important for you, the borrower, to take note that getting a loan approval starts from planning well.

The steps that follow include preparations which you, as an entrepreneur, must do by yourself, before approaching a financial institution, or even before deciding to borrow.

1. Evaluate whether you are in a position to borrow

Try to answer the questions below to find out whether you have what it takes to be a borrower who can be considered a good "credit-risk."

• Am I honest, with clear lines of credit, trustworthy and without any police record? Do I fulfill my obligations and honor my commitments? In other words, can I pass a bank's credit investigation? Is my financial stake in the business sufficient to influence me to honor and repay my debt?
• Do I manage my cash flow well? Do I have ready sources to repay my obligations? Do I have a written record of my cash receipts and disbursements? Do I have the documents to show (for example, income tax returns and financial statements) that my business has consistently been profitable over the past few years? Have I been dealing with a bank through which I can show the flow of my cash in the form of deposit account?
• Am I in an industry that has bright prospects for growth? Is my business job-creating, local material utilizing or dollar-generating? Is the community where my business is operating contributory to industrial growth?
• Do I have collateral without debt or lien, in the form of land, building, automotive vehicle, or equipment of value? If I have none, will someone lend me collateral? Otherwise, am I eligible for guarantee-coverage from credit guarantee institutions?

2. Estimate accurately the amount that you need to borrow.

Whether the loan is for the acquisition of fixed assets (such as equipment, land, or building) or to get more working capital ( to pay salaries, raw materials, inventories, utilities, etc.), it is important not to underestimate the amount required. It is always better to borrow a bit too much than too little.

3. Choose the bank to approach.

Generally choose the bank that knows you and understands your business best. It should also preferably be one that is near to your business or home.

• The choice of bank must also be determined by the size and purpose of the loan, as well as the size and status of the business.
• For small loans between P50,000 and P5 million, approach development banks, savings banks and rural banks. Consider borrowing also from special lending programs for small enterprises such as the SME Unified Lending Opportunities for National Growth (SULONG) Program of the Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, National Livelihood Support Fund, Philippine Export-Import Credit Agency, Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corporation, and Small Business Guarantee and Financial Corporation.
• For bigger loans above P5 million, approach private development banks, commercial banks and unibanks.

4. Go through the loan application process of the bank you choose.

Submit the various documentary requirements and go through interviews and credit investigations:

• Application forms - The forms vary according to the bank but the following information are usually asked: name, address, telephone number, legal form and nature of the business; registration with government business registries (such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Trade and Industry, or the city or municipal government); product lines; amount of capitalization; names of owner/partners/stockholders; type, amount, and purpose of loan applied for; and description of collateral offered.
• Documentary requirements - The requisite papers should preferably be prepared before applying for a bank loan. Incomplete documents can cause delays. The following documents are commonly asked for:

• Community Tax certificate, taxpayers' identification number, BIR-stamped tax declaration for the past three years, financial statement for the past three years, bank and grade references.
• Mini business plan or project feasibility study, especially for borrowers who are just starting in business. The business plan basically contains a forecast in terms of money of what the business is going to be like for each month of a given year. It gives estimates of production expenses and expected sales revenues.
• Business registration papers. For single proprietorships, registration with the Department of Trade and Industry and with the municipal office. For partnerships, articles of partnership and joint resolution to borrow. For corporations, SEC-certified articles of incorporation with by-laws, board resolution to borrow, and stockholders’ biodata. For cooperatives, registration with the Bureau of Cooperative Development.
• Papers pertaining to collateral. For real estate mortgage, copy of TCT, location plan with vicinity map, tax clearance, tax receipts, tax declaration, insurance, floor plan or pictures. For chattel mortgage, invoice with official receipt for payment of chattels, registration certificates, insurance, L/C evidencing payment in case of imported equipment. For exporters, letters of credit, confirmed purchase orders and sales contracts.

Be sure you understand all these documentary requirements clearly. Ask for a checklist and go through each requirement carefully with the loan officer assigned to you. Know the documents required – in what form (original or certified true copy) and in how many copies. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and clarifications.

Personal Interview
The purpose of the interview is to gather information in order to establish your creditworthiness as a prospective borrower. Again, this is an opportunity for raising questions which you have in mind.

5. Get ready for an ocular inspection of your plant/workplace as well as the property being offered as collateral.

A bank appraisal report is made of the property, which includes: land identity; description of the land; neighborhood data; public utility improvements; valuation and encumbrances.

6. Be prepared for a credit investigation.

The credit investigation report generally covers the following:

• The company's background and history, covering the date of registration/incorporation, the type of business organization, records of registration, names of incorporators, and a summary of operating records.
• Financial condition. The current breakdown of financial statements reflecting the results of operation for the past three years. It also includes schedules, explanations of extraordinary items, breakdown of merchandise and receivables and full explanation of all inter-company loans and merchandise transactions.
• Dealings with government agencies. The lending bank checks on the credit availed of by the applicant from lending government agencies, the nature of the loan, collateral offered, and installment payments, including arrearages, if any.
• Bank's experience with the borrower, if the applicant is an old client.
• Court cases: The bank checks on civil or criminal cases involving the applicant. It also obtains information about the applicant from competitors.

After the credit investigation and supporting documents have been accomplished and evaluated, a recommendation for approval is prepared and the release of the loan is facilitated.

Borrowing from a bank can be a long and tedious process which may take anywhere from a few days to a few months. Being sure that you understand all the above procedures and requirements will definitely help shorten the process.

Remember too, that officers from special lending programs will monitor your business even long after the loan has been released. They check on your books and records. For loans on a letter of credit or purchase order, they monitor your production activities to see to it that deliveries and shipments are made on time. They do so in order to confirm that the loan is being utilized for the purpose you have indicated and to help ensure that your business stays viable and capable of keeping up with loan repayments.

Are you ready to apply for a loan?

 

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10 Open Source VoIP servers and proxies

 

A SIP proxy/registrar is an essential part of a VoIP network. Today I will focus on all Open Source available solutions for deploying SIP proxies. Some proxies are useful for beating NAT by rewriting IP addresses in SIP messages, some proxies are useful as security tools and some of them act as registrar proxies which are the most important part of a VoIP network.

There are many types of SIP proxies. Transaction stateful proxies keep track of transaction state machines, transaction stateless proxies create no transaction state when forwarding a request. B2BUA (back-to-back user agent), a back-to-back user agent inserts itself actively in SIP calls. It splits a call in two legs and presents itself as callee to the caller and as caller to the callee. SIP proxies act as registrar when they allow users to log-in and they keep track of them. A registrar is a server that accepts REGISTER requests and places the information it receives in those requests into the location service for the domain it handles. A redirect server is a user agent server that generates 3xx responses to requests it receives, directing the client to contact an alternate set of URIs.The redirect server allows SIP Proxy Servers to direct SIP session invitations to external domains.
Let's see some of them. Notice that most of them there are not only SIP proxies but they can act also as PBX, PSTN gateways or media servers.

Image by comedy_nose on Flicker

Asterisk PBX:
Asterisk is software that turns an ordinary computer into a voice communications server. Asterisk powers IP PBX systems, VoIP gateways, conference servers and more. It is used by small businesses, large businesses, call centers, carriers and governments worldwide. Asterisk is free and open source. Asterisk is sponsored by Digium. It can be used as registrar.

OpenSIPS:
OpenSIPS (Open SIP Server) is a mature Open Source implementation of a SIP server. OpenSIPS is more than a SIP proxy/router as it includes application-level functionalities. OpenSIPS, as a SIP server, is the core component of any SIP-based VoIP solution. With a very flexible and customizable routing engine, OpenSIPS 'unifies voice, video, IM and presence services in a highly efficient way, thanks to its scalable (modular) design.
What OpenSIPS has to offer, comes in a reliable and high-performance flavour - OpenSIPS is one of the fastest SIP servers, with a throughput that confirms it as a solution up to enterprise or carrier-grade class.

MjServer:
Cross-platform SIP proxy/registrar/redirect, written in java, based on MjSip stack. MjSip is a complete java-based implementation of a SIP stack.
It provides in the same time the API and implementation bound together into the MjSip packages. MjSip is available open source under the terms of the GNU GPL license (General Public Licence) as published by the Free Software Foundation. It can be used as Registrar, Redirect, Stateless Proxy or Stateful Proxy.

MySIPSwitch:
SIP Proxy server which allows using multiple SIP accounts with a single SIP login. A SIP signalling consolidation tool that allows multi-user management of diverse SIP providers and allows central management of any SIP based VoIP service. Included in this project are a SIP Stack, SIP Registrar, SIP Registration UAC, SIP Stateful Proxy, STUN Server and more. The components are all written in C#.
This project is currently being used to provide the live service at http://www.mysipswitch.com
They have a forum to discuss the service, the technical issues, feature requests.
My SIPSwitch enables you to take advantage of 5, 10 or 20 different SIP Providers anywhere in the World. This will allow you to tailor fit a VoIP service to meet your needs from several different providers, thus guaranteeing you the best call rates possible.

OpenSBC:
MPL licensed SIP proxy/registrar/B2BUA with NAT traversal and ENUM.
OpenSBC is an open source (MPL License) Session Border Controller and B2BUA.

Features:

• Registrations
• B2BUA
• NAT traversal
• ENUM

Open SBC has been under developement and in use for 7 years in high volume applications.
Commercial support is available from the original developers.

Kamailio:
Kamailio is an Open Source SIP Server released under GPL, able to handle thousands of call setups per second. Among features: asynchronous TCP, UDP and SCTP, secure communication via TLS for VoIP (voice, video), SIMPLE instant messaging and pressence, ENUM, least cost routing, load balancing, routing fail-over, accounting, authentication and authorization against MySQL, Postgres, Oracle, Radius, LDAP, XMLRPC control interface, SNMP monitoring. It can be used to build large VoIP servicing platforms or to scale up SIP-to-PSTN gateways, PBX systems or media servers like Asterisk™, FreeSWITCH™ or SEMS. The application is written in C for Linux/Unix platforms and focuses on performance, flexibility and security. In addition to C, extensions can be written in Lua, Perl or Python.

Partysip:
Partysip is an implementation of a SIP proxy server. SIP stands for the Session Initiation Protocol and is described by the rfc2543 (soon to be deprecated by latest revisions). SIP is a open standard replacement from IETF for H323.
Partysip is a modular application where some capabilities are added and removed through plugins. The program comes with several GPL plugins. At this step, partysip and its plugins could be used as a 'SIP registrar', a 'SIP redirect server' and a 'SIP stateful proxy server'. (stateless capabilities have been removed)

Siproxd:
SIP and RTP Proxy. Siproxd is a proxy/masquerading daemon for the SIP protocol. It handles registrations of SIP clients on a private IP network and performs rewriting of the SIP message bodies to make SIP connections work via an masquerading firewall (NAT). It allows SIP software clients (like kphone, linphone) or SIP hardware clients (Voice over IP phones which are SIP-compatible, such as those from Cisco, Grandstream or Snom) to work behind an IP masquerading firewall or NAT router.
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol, RFC3261) is the protocol of choice for most VoIP (Voice over IP) phones to initiate communication. By itself, SIP does not work via masquerading firewalls as the transfered data contains IP addresses and port numbers. There do exist other solutions to traverse NAT existing (like STUN, or SIP aware NAT routers), but such a solutions has its disadvantages or may not be applied to a given situation. Siproxd does not aim to be a replacement for these solutions, however in some situations siproxd may bring advantages.

sipXecs:
Complete, native SIP PBX solution from SIPfoundry. The sipXecs IP PBX is the leading open source IP PBX. It excels in terms of scalability, robustness and ease of use. The sipXecs IP PBX has been successfully deployed in lots of of places. The largest known installation serves more than 6,000 users connected to one redundant (HA) system. Small installations go all the way down to a few users served by very low cost hardware. sipXecs is a very sophisticated VoIP unified communications system. Thanks to its powerful Web based management system it is so incredibly easy to use, which is probably its single most important accomplishment.

SIP proxy:
With SIP Proxy you will have the opportunity to eavesdrop and manipulate SIP traffic. Furthermore, predefined security test cases can be executed to find weak spots in VoIP devices. Security analysts can add and execute custom test cases.

 

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