Introducing the Maker Party, where people all over the world meet-up and learn stuff, teach each other and exchange ideas on how they can contribute in teaching about the Web.

To start the season of webmaking in the Philippines, the Mozilla Philippines Community presents Maker Party 2013 Alphaland, an all-girl webmaking session as a support to the Webmaker and Women & Mozilla (WoMoz) projects.

To register for this event, just visit the Eventbrite page!

Maker Party Alphaland is STRICTLY for WOMEN ONLY. Don’t worry, we are cooking more Maker Parties!

See you there!

You may also opt to bring home the coloring sheets and ask your kids to do it at home. Simply email scanned copies of their artworks via info@mozillaphilippines.org

Winning entries will receive awesome Mozilla Firefox items.

We are very proud to announce the launch of this year’s Firefox Flicks in Manila this coming June 19, 2013 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the SDA Amphitheater of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), School of Design and Arts. Know how to join the international video contest and meet other filmmakers. You will also have the opportunity to watch the previous winners of Firefox Flicks while having fun.

Mozilla is entering the mobile market with it’s new mobile operating system called FirefoxOS, which wants to bring the power and technology of smartphones to emerging markets. Thus, this year’s Firefox Flicks theme is “You’re the director. Mobile is the star.”

We’re looking for videos that tell the story of how having access to the Web through a mobile device can change the way you see the world and how you function within it. You could win some great prizes and be seen by celebrity judges who can make your moviemaking dreams come true.

If you’re a student filmmaker, go grab a camera and start learning a video editing program this semester to create your very first flick. If you are a 3D animation or motion graphics designer, you may want to consider this as an addition to your portfolio. This event will you guide on how to Join the Firefox Flicks 2013 video contest contest and win cool prizes To know more about the contest you can visit Firefox Flicks blog and get answers to your FAQ.

Sign up and get your tickets now at http://fxflicksmanila.eventbrite.com

Firefox Student Ambassadors at the registration booth

The event was held at the Globe Corporate Showroom at Valero Telepark, Makati City (thanks to Globe Labs!). ANC’s (The ABS-CBN News Channel) Future Perfect sent a TV crew to cover the event, too. Thank you guys for supporting this cause!

Before the event started, I was interviewed by ANC to talk about the initiative’s goals and what it is about.

ANC Interview

Sir Bob Reyes giving a demo of the Keon

Some MozillaPH team members with Ms. Michelle Santos, Developer Relations Manager of Globe Labs. Talk about girl power!

The girls surely love the Geeksphone Keon!

Mozilla Philippines Community Manager Eusebio “Jun” Barrun, Jr. started by talking about Mozilla and the community here in the Philippines.

Afterwards I introduced the Women and Mozilla initiative! Why it is important, what are its goals and what can we do to improve the presence of women in open source projects.

The speakers then talked about how women and men who support the cause can contribute in this cause. I explained that we do not wish to discriminate genders but instead promote gender equality where needs of women are addressed to help them get past the hindrances that stop them from being involved in the tech industry.

Mozilla Rep Joell Lapitan talked about how they can contribute as developers.

The ‘father’ of the Student Ambassadors in the Philippines, Kemuel Joeph Domanog talked about the newly launched program, encouraging the student attendees by sharing what he had experienced being involved and what improvement it brought to his personality.

Another girl Mozilla Rep from the Philippines, Joyce Domanog talked about Firefox OS and how she got involved with Mozilla and open source even though she is a business major.

Mozilla Rep Robert “Bob” Reyes talked about the Webmaker project and how women can help in the project’s goal to make everyone a web maker.

Ms. Michelle Santos talked about Globe Labs and how women are involved in their projects.

Lastly, WebFWD scout Monique Almario talked about WebFWD and the opportunities that await them in the program.

One of the rare IT/technology-related events to be dominated by women! Women and Mozilla in the Philippines is indeed off to a great start! We are hoping to get more women involved in Mozilla projects and events!

More pictures here.

We are still forming the WoMoz team here in the Philippines! If you are interested to join us in organizing programs, projects and events to improve women involvement in this field, just join this Facebook group: Women and Mozilla in the Philippines

You may also send me a message on Facebook, Twitter or via e-mail.

Catch a glimpse and demo of Geeksphone Keon Developer Preview devices, powered by Firefox OS. Ask questions about Mozilla Firefox from our friendly SuMo (Mozilla Support) personnel at the MozillaPH Booth. Sign-up as a Firefox Student Ambassador if you are qualified,

Plus! We have exciting surprises to those who will visit our booth. Did I mentioned that the local Mozilla Reps (ReMo) will also be there present all throughout the festivities?

This year’s TOYCON will happen on 14-15-16 Jun 2013 at the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall. See you there!

Here are few basic information about the newly launched program:

Who are the Firefox Student Ambassadors?
They are individuals who are passionate on Mozilla’s mission and they are those who promote the Firefox browser, Firefox OS and other Mozilla products and projects in their respective campuses or universities!

They are given opportunities to learn new skills, gain recognition and advance their leadership in the Mozilla Community!  They can also be accepted into the Mozilla Representatives (ReMo) Program!

What Firefox Student Ambassadors do?
Firefox Student Ambassadors exists to raise the awareness of tools and resources that Mozilla has to offer in helping other contributors (especially other students) via some of the activities listed below:

• Event Speakership
• Recruiting Contributors
• Event Organizing
• Graphic Designing
• Student Developers
• Photographers
• Event Bloggers / Documentation

How to Join the Firefox Student Ambassadors Program?
Joining is easy. One must be at least 18 years old (and above)  and is currently enrolled or associated at any school or learning institution. YES, Professors and School Administrators are now welcome to be part of the program. Visit http://mozillaph.org/ffxstudents to register!

So, what’s next?
After registration, you are encouraged to create a Firefox Club — a group of Firefox Student Ambassadors at your respective school or campus. Students get to meet fellow Ambassadors in their schools and work as a team on events planning and growing the Mozilla Community at their institution. To check if there is already an existing club on your school or campus, please visit http://mozillaph.org/ffxclubsdirectory

What to do if there is no existing club on my school?
Gather all your friends, Classmates or Professor who want to join the Firefox Student Ambassador Program. Appoint a leader, who will be Mozilla Philippines Community’s contact person at your school or campus. Be sure to choose a name for your club. Please create a club via http://mozillaph.org/ffxclubs

So what are you guys waiting for? Come and Join our program. Be the next Firefox Student Ambassador to represent Mozilla in your school! Keep the Firefox fire Blazing!

I fulfilled this promise last night during a simple handover ceremony held at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) Prism Plaza, Two E-Com Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.

Pinoy Mozillians who are now proud owners of the very first Firefox OS powered devices in the Philippines: Geeksphone Keon.

Present during the event (held on short notice) were worthy Geeksphone Keon recipients:

1. Noel Anonas
2. Joell Lapitan
3. Antonio Martinez
4. Paul Ameer Jayme
5. Mark Joseph Penaranda
6. Kevin John Ventura
7. Rofus Dela Cruz

Noel developed the “Bad Boy” game app, which lets the player trap the trash bags being thrown by the bad boys of the neighborhood.

Ever cheezy Joell (a Mozilla Rep from Laguna) developed a FLAMES (Friends, Lovers, Affectionate, Marriage, Enemies, and Sweethearts) app — remember your elementary school days?

Tony on the other hand presented a simple school registration system for mobile devices.

Paul Ameer (from Olongapo City) developed an app to hone one’s skills in typing on a mobile device. The app is aptly called QTT.

Marc Anthony (Paul’s colleague from Olongapo City) created a treasure hunt game called Grubin. This app features the different scenic spots and tourist attractions all over the Philippines.

Mark Joseph in the other hand created an app that lets users thrown random questions and will return answers from the program’s database.

Fellow Mozilla Rep (from Laguna) Kevin John started developing the app codenamed Tranzilla. The app aims to provide information for travelers, where other people can leave their tips and comments — sort of an opensocial travel network.

Want a Geeksphone Keon for yourself? Propose for a Firefox OS app and Mozilla might send you one, for free! Click here for more info.

GeeksPhone is a Spanish start-up company and producer of smartphones founded in early 2009 by Javier Agüera and Rodrigo Silva-Ramos. They specialize in the development, promotion and commercialization of open source mobile telephony solutions.

Geeksphone Keon and Peak are the very first commercially available Firefox OS powered devices (Developers Preview) in the planet. And the units that had arrived today are the very first of its kind in the country.

Contents inside the packaging of Geeksphone Keon device.

If you are planning to get either a Keon or a Peak from Geeksphone, just head straight at their website (NOTE: Mozilla is NOT selling the devices) if they had already replenished their stocks.

[L-R] Samsung Galaxy Nexus S i9023, Geeksphone Keon, & ZTE “Unagi” Test Device — all running Mozilla Firefox OS.

Hence, the Mozilla Philippines Community presents the kick-off of the Women and Mozilla initiative, where women whether currently in the field of IT or not, can be informed of what they can do to contribute to open source, aid in its advocacy and empower other women to join the movement.

It will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2013 1PM at the Globe Corporate Showroom, Valero Telepark, 111 Valero St., Makati City.

Open to all women, whether students or working inviduals coming from any field! Snacks are on us!

Register via Eventbrite: http://womozphl.eventbrite.com/
Know more about Women and Mozilla at http://womoz.org/
More about the event on http://mozillaphilippines.org/!

See you there!

The Mozilla Philippines Community will be supporting the WoMoz and we are very happy to announce the appointment of Ms. Kathrine Faye Tandog as the WoMoz Community Lead here in our country. Faye is an active contributor in the Community as events organizer and networks with other open source projects or communities. She has been instrumental in the success of the recent Junior Form Function & Class (JFFC) and Mini JFFC’s. She was the Vice-President for Human Resources of TomasinoWeb, an online student publication of the University of Santo Tomas (she just graduated this month and is currently looking for her first job).

Right now she is busy with her planning pad, so watch out for some cool activities she had lined up like Mini Hackathons and of course MozMilk Tea! for women techies out there. Being the first female and youngest Mozilla Rep in the Philippines, she really enjoys volunteering and giving back to the community.  You can find more about Faye by following her on Twitter @fayetandog  and her personal blog in Tumblr, where she spends most of her time sharing about Mozilla and random stuff.