Monthly Archives: January 2013

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Making Sure Your Sites’ SSL Certificate is PCI Compliant

January 26 6:27 am ,

Technology

Guest post

The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council is a council formed by multiple card providers (such as American Express, Visa, MasterCard) in order to formalise a set of standards known as the Payment Card Industry Digital Security Standards. The PCI Digital Security Standards are formed to ensure that companies comply with a standard set of security policies when taking card payments online. SSL international standards are one of the twelve requirements outlined in the Digital Security Standards. When investing in your digital certificate, although the Digital Security Standards does not explicitly state you should have Extended Validation, it is a fantastic step to take to ensure the trust of your customers.

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Posted in: Random

Have wings, will fly

January 24 3:12 pm ,

Grow

 

The following is an excerpt (albeit revised) of a speech I gave during the Academic Conference held by the University of British Columbia Filipino Students Association (UBC-FSA).

You are starting the rest of your life. It’s wonderful, but you are probably thinking you are not allowed to make a mistake in choosing your path. It is, after all, expensive.

But please know that loneliness and dissatisfaction are more expensive, not to mention damaging. So what I want to tell you is that we are given many chances, and allowed many starts. We can – in fact – be anything and everything we want. Our paths are not straight but meandering, allowing for that detour which would make us realize our fullest potentials. There may be in fact not just one path, but many paths, and many different sort of happiness and fulfillment.

To show you the truth of that, let me tell you about the stories of many Filipinos here in Canada.

 

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Posted in: Canada

New Year Wishes

January 1 9:53 am ,

This year, I wore so many hats – it’s great, and confusing, and draining – but let’s come back to it’s great, because it is. It is true, though, and many sleepless nights are testament to it – one can only do so much. But for me, I would take “only” out of the equation – because (and this is my mantra for the coming year), ONE CAN DO SO MUCH.

From the Philippine Canadian Inquirer, where I am the editor-in-chief. The Philippine Canadian Inquirer is the first and only Canada-wide Filipino-Canadian newspaper (distributed in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and British Columbia – the home base). It’s my baby and since I took it over in February 2012 (barely a month after I landed in Canada), it has filled my days and nights with wonder and stress and challenges and opportunities. Looking forward to filling it with better content – and with a lot more heart – in 2013.

Another version from hubby, Danvic Briones, my partner and the one who makes my visions possible. Thanks, hon.

And of course, from hubby’s company, the Canadian counterpart of which we set up in 2012, poised for our entry into the North American market. Rescue72 is your partner in emergency preparedness. This has been a year of business plan writing, grant writing, pitching and expansion. We look forward to helping more people prepare in 2013 for the reality knocking on everyone’s doors – greater storms and earthquakes because of climate change.

Hubby is director of the Philippines Canada Trade Council (like me, he has been busy too), and I am a very willing volunteer (of course).

And of course, service to my (and hubby’s) alma mater and our fellow alumni via the University of the Philippines Alumni Association in British Columbia. I will be taking the helm in 2013 and I am stoked and excited and awed – and did I say excited? We have a lot of things we want to do for 2013 and I am looking forward to a year of fun and meaning and camaraderie.

And of course, my favorite hat of all, wife and mom. Being in this new and wonderful country – Canada – has allowed us to be closer and to grow as a family. There were challenges, and it has been quite a ride. But anywhere we go, as long as we are together, I am sure  we are going to be okay.

Happy New Year everyone. Prosperity, blessings, meaning, kindness and love to all.

Posted in: The Beginning