Lim eyes ban on ‘violent’ video arcade games

By: Itchie G. Cabayan - Journal on-line

MANILA Mayor Alfredo Lim yesterday ordered a study on banning violent video games in arcades and amusement centers, particularly among minors.

The directive came after the Philippine Alliance Against Pornography met with Lim to discuss the dangers being posed by these games on children’s behavior.

Former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chairman Henrietta Mendez, PAAG president, was alarmed that unlike movies and television shows, video games are even more dangerous because kids can play them without proper guidance.

“The more people you hit, the higher your score will be and you are even rewarded for it,” she told Lim.

For his part, Lim directed his chief of staff Ric de Guzman to work out possible solutions to the problem either by banning violent games from being accessed by minors or prohibiting children from the use of gaming machines that promote too much violence.

He noted that being very interactive, playing violent video games, especially when done repeatedly, may cause the children to develop violent tendencies.

Lim also took notice of reports made by the PAAG that these games encourage players to be good at hitting or killing a computer-generated enemies with virtual guns by shooting at his vital parts.

To add more teeth to the regulation of video games in the city, Lim said he will coordinate with Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Isko Moreno in crafting an ordinance for this purpose.

As early as last July, Lim prohibited the playing of computer games during school hours particularly near public schools, or from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., which are the usual class hours in the elementary and secondary level.

The mayor’s action then was in response to the complaints of parents and teachers, who said that a good number of such shops encourage skipping of classes among high school students by allowing them to play computer games at any time of the day.

Video resumé service takes shot at cyberspace

By EDISON D. ONG - Manila Bulletin

The next time you respond to a job advertisement, try sending a video resumé. Furthermore, be prepared to be interviewed by your potential employer online.


The great part here is that you are in the Philippines and the potential employer who is interviewing you is in the United States, for example.

A local company called "Ocean 8" has recently introduced Vid- Res, a twin win service offered through www.vidres.net. It is an avenue for jobseeks to find the best jobs and for the employers to find the best applicants, Edgardo R Corbe, Business Development Director of VidRes, told Infotech in an interview.

Jobseekers present their qualifications in a 30-second video, he said, adding that this save them time and money on their job hunt.

He added "Video resumés allow applicants to highlight their personality, skills, and talents, something that a traditional paper resumé can’t do."

What’s more, he continued, vidres.net helps applicants create the most impressive video resumé by guiding them through an easy-to-follow step-by-step process of resumé development. "vidres.net gives a face and a voice to each job application, he said.

On the part of employers, he explained, they post online job vacancies, have access to video resumes, are able to shorten — if not eliminate — initial screening process. Best of all, they hire the employees they need.

He said that vidres.net is more than just video resume, because it features company video profiles and allows employers to interview candidates online.

Corbe and his marketing and sales team entertained inquiries on this high tech approach to resume presentation and application solution at the recent CCAP Call Center Conference and Expo 2007 held at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila hotel.

The two-day event highlighted the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) strategies and action plans to meet the outsourced contact center sector’s goals for 2010. The CCAP counts among its members 34 of the largest outsourced call centers in the country and the world.

One of the major concerns tackled at this year’s conference edition is contact center talent sourcing, selection and retention.

At present, uploading of video resume into the VidRes site is for free. Eventually, a P100 fee per video uploaded will be imposed.

As of press time, he said, "we have 20 companies posting job opportunities of which three are contact centers."

In the blueprint are installation of mobile video resume recording booths in job hunting grounds and by 2008, the company executives will travel to Asian countries and collaborate with Asian recruiters.

At the Contact Center conference, he reported that they have received inquiries from interest conference visitors from Taiwan, Hong Kong and the US.

"We have already points of presence in the US, Hong Kong and Canada," he said, "so it will be easy for us to organize on the international level."

VIDRES.NET OFFERING

Vidres.net also allows employers to pre-screen and shortlist jobseekers at the click of a button, without leaving their desk or picking up the phone. Through vidres.net, employers can now see how articulate and confident a candidate is even before the interview. No more expensive job ads. No more time wasted waiting for results.

In seconds, employers can assess a candidate’s suitability for the job in terms of image, personality, and communication skills. Costly, physically taxing, and futile initial interviews are now eliminated.

Vidres.net even goes beyond video resumés. After an initial screening of applicants, vidres.net can help employers set up an online interview – face-to-face, real-time and synchronous. Employers get to see, hear, and critique candidates in less time and for less the cost of in-person interviews.

Language proficiency tests, IQ tests, personality tests, and career suitability tests can also be administered to applicants online, paving the way for paperless hiring.

Moreover, companies can also upload video files to advertise job openings and attract potential business partners.