Local Internet awards
BAGUIO CITY-A government-run interactive opinion chatroom and electronic inquiry site on sexuality for young adults won an award last week for best practices in Internet-based public services from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec).
Nicknamed "Bonjing," this city's first government-run interactive website can be found in the baguio.gov.ph website under the "Young People in Baguio City" link. Registration is required to access the site.
Bonjing was among the 10 Philippine sites honored in Taipei by the Apec Digital Opportunity Center. ADOC was established in 2003 to address the "digital divide" problem, an issue raised during the 11th Apec economic leaders' meeting that same year.
Aside from Bonjing, the other awardees from the Philippines are: the Bureau of Internal Revenue digital filing system, the National Library, the Bulacan provincial government, the Upi town of Maguindanao, the Central Visayas Information Sharing Network Foundation, the University of the Philippines Open University, the Advanced Science and Technology Institute, the Mindanao State University in Iligan and the Northern Mindanao State Institute.
Frank discussion on sex
City officials here are hoping that Bonjing will become an avenue for unbiased political and religious discussion on sexuality, population management and the AIDS epidemic in this part of the country, according to Erwin Manaois, city information technology officer.
The website was launched on May 16 with the goal of engaging teenagers in a frank discussion about how, when and where sex should take place.
Mayor Braulio Yaranon approved the project based on a concept developed by Dr. Cecilia Brillantes.
In a May interview, Teodora Catolos, the city's population program officer, said Brillantes' original plan was for the website to evolve into an e-counseling service because it would guarantee absolute anonymity for teenagers.
Catolos said teenagers and young adults would not openly go to professionals for help, based on information from government-run and privately owned counseling services.
Anonymity
"The telephone counseling services work because of the anonymity [they provide], but there is even more anonymity on the Net," Catolos said in Filipino.
She said the website's biggest come-on was the fact that questions were answered by some of Baguio's experts on sexuality, health and population management.
The city government had also forged ties with civic groups such as Baguio Center for Young Adults (BCYA), Child and Family Services Philippines Inc. (CFSPI) and Ebgan Inc., a gender rights advocacy group.
No censorship
Some of the experts have jokingly referred to the city project as "a condom website" because it provides better information about sexuality than what the government allows.
The website does not censor discussions, even allowing criticisms on the government's AIDS and population programs.
Nicknamed "Bonjing," this city's first government-run interactive website can be found in the baguio.gov.ph website under the "Young People in Baguio City" link. Registration is required to access the site.
Bonjing was among the 10 Philippine sites honored in Taipei by the Apec Digital Opportunity Center. ADOC was established in 2003 to address the "digital divide" problem, an issue raised during the 11th Apec economic leaders' meeting that same year.
Aside from Bonjing, the other awardees from the Philippines are: the Bureau of Internal Revenue digital filing system, the National Library, the Bulacan provincial government, the Upi town of Maguindanao, the Central Visayas Information Sharing Network Foundation, the University of the Philippines Open University, the Advanced Science and Technology Institute, the Mindanao State University in Iligan and the Northern Mindanao State Institute.
Frank discussion on sex
City officials here are hoping that Bonjing will become an avenue for unbiased political and religious discussion on sexuality, population management and the AIDS epidemic in this part of the country, according to Erwin Manaois, city information technology officer.
The website was launched on May 16 with the goal of engaging teenagers in a frank discussion about how, when and where sex should take place.
Mayor Braulio Yaranon approved the project based on a concept developed by Dr. Cecilia Brillantes.
In a May interview, Teodora Catolos, the city's population program officer, said Brillantes' original plan was for the website to evolve into an e-counseling service because it would guarantee absolute anonymity for teenagers.
Catolos said teenagers and young adults would not openly go to professionals for help, based on information from government-run and privately owned counseling services.
Anonymity
"The telephone counseling services work because of the anonymity [they provide], but there is even more anonymity on the Net," Catolos said in Filipino.
She said the website's biggest come-on was the fact that questions were answered by some of Baguio's experts on sexuality, health and population management.
The city government had also forged ties with civic groups such as Baguio Center for Young Adults (BCYA), Child and Family Services Philippines Inc. (CFSPI) and Ebgan Inc., a gender rights advocacy group.
No censorship
Some of the experts have jokingly referred to the city project as "a condom website" because it provides better information about sexuality than what the government allows.
The website does not censor discussions, even allowing criticisms on the government's AIDS and population programs.
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