Round Table Proposalinternet Cafe Philippines

Round Table Discussion

Setting the National Agenda for Internet Cafes Theme: The Internet Cafes of Tomorrow Developing into a Multi Service Internet Based Business Introduction The year 2009 is a great challenge for internet cafe operators in the Philippines. The industry is facing more and more challenges that what it had faced in the previous years. In the different postings in the national forum of internet cafes in the Philippines that could be found in Ulop.net (http://www.ulop.net/) we can summarized these challenges as follows: 1. Market Saturation – it has been noticed that more and more people are setting up internet cafes in the different communities around the country. 2. Unreasonable Prices - as the number of players increases in a particular area the level of prices for the services offered by the various internet cafes tend to decrease as they try to attract customers into their internet cafes. 3. Competition from Computer Manufacturers and Internet Service Providers – Computer hardware, presence of a robust second hand PC market and internet connection fees are at the lowest compared to the previous years thus more and more people are able to afford to have their own computer systems at home. 4. Resistance to Change – the internet has provided new opportunities for people wanting to engage in business but it seems that the internet cafe owners would tend to just settle to old business models which at this time is no longer applicable. 5. Lack of Professionalism in the Industry – as more and more people are engaging the internet cafe industry it has been noted that there seems to be a lack of professionalism among its operators with the ongoing price wars and total disregard to regulations. 6. The Lack of a National Agenda – even though great advances has been made by the industry, it is still considered to be a backyard industry that there is no national regulations in place to help the industry. The task of regulating the industry is primarily given to the local government units that has no experience or knowledge about it thus it is always classified as an entertainment center the same level as karaoke bars, restaurants and pool halls. 7. More and more regulations that are being set are now becoming very unrealistic. The current move of government agencies most especially the local government units with regards to regulating the industry is now becoming unrealistic that instead of providing support to the industry, it has actually lead to its decline. Thus, this round table discussion is being called in order to come up with the right environment in which the internet cafe industry would be given its right prospective and a chance to face the challenges it faces. General Objective Its primary task is to bring together the various players in the industry (internet cafe owners, local and national government units, computer manufacturers and internet service providers) into a discussion with the hope of creating a national agenda for the internet cafe industry. Specific Objectives: This one day round table discussion hopes to attain the following: 1. Bring together officers, members and internet cafe operators in Metro Manila and the sorrounding provinces to a forum to discuss matters affecting their operations;

2. Connect them with government officials on the national and local levels to discuss programs or activities that will bring about dramatic changes in the internet cafe industry; 3. Bring together the internet cafe operators and representatives of other releated industries like computer hardware manufaturers and vendors, internet service providers, software developers and gaming companies into a forum to discuss ways in which each one could support each other to bring about improvement in the present conditions prevailing in the internet cafe industry; 4. Agree on a national agenda that would pushed by the internet cafe operators through the establishment of a National Federation of Internet Access Providers that would represent the interest of the internet cafe operators around the country. 5. Start with the preparations of convening the true Internet Cafe Congress in which the internet cafe owners and icafe organizations nationwide would be invited for the launching of the National Federation of Internet Access Providers. Project Propenents: 1. Unified Lanshop Owners of the Philippines (ULOP.net) 2. Internet Cafe Association of Imus, Inc 3. Global Hosted Operating System(G.ho.st – http://g.ho.st) Invited Guests: 

Officers and Members of the following Internet Cafe Organizations:            

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Members, Unified Lanshop Owners of the Philippines (ULOP.net) Internet Cafe Association of Imus, Inc Internet Cafe Association of Marikina San Juan City Internet Cafe Owners Association Inc Manila Internet Cafe Owners Association Internet Cafe Association of Pasig Internet Cafe Association of Malabon Internet Cafe Association of Navotas Valenzuela Internet Cafe Association Calamba Computer Business Owners Association Los Banos Computer Owners and Operators League Other Internet Cafe Associations that commits to join

National and Local Government Agencies  Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT)  Department of Education (DepEd)  Department of Trade and Industries  Representatives of the local government units – invited organizations/Department of Interior and Local Government

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Target Date: May 20, 2009 Proposed Time: 9:00 a.m – 5:00 pm Proposed Venue: Max Restaurant – Makati Commercial Center/ Gateway Mall Cubao

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Proposed Schedule of Activities TIme 9:00 – 9:30

Activity Registration of the Participants

9:30 – 9:45

Opening Ceremonies • Opening Prayer • Philippine National Anthem

9:45 – 10:00

Welcome Remarks/Acknowledgement of the different Internet Cafe Organizations Participating

10:00 – 10:15

State of the Internet Cafe Industry A Candid Portrayal

10:15 – 10:45

First Session: The Need for a National Organization of Internet Cafe Operators

10:45 – 11:00 11:00 – 11:30

Speaker By Video

Commissioner Monchito Ibrahim Cyber Services Group Commission on Information and Communication Technology

Open Forum Second Session: Department of Trade and Industries Government Programs that aids in the development of the Internet Cafe Industry

11:30 – 11:45

Open Forum

11:45 – 12:00

Minor Sponsor Presentation

12:00 – 1:00

Lunch/Socials

1:00 – 1:30

Major Sponsor Presentation

1:30 – 2:00

Third Session: Philippine Education and the Internet Cafe Working Together to Provide Quality Education to Filipino Students

2:00 – 2:15

Open Forum

2:15 – 2:30

Minor Sponsor Presentation

2:30 – 3:00

Fourth Session: The Internet Cafe and the Local Government Units A Need for Greater Understandings

3:00 – 3:15

Open Forum

3:15 – 3:30

G.ho.st Presentation

3:30 – 4:00

Reading/Adaptation Resolution: Creation of the National Federation of Internet Access Providers

4:00 – 5:00

Department of Education

Getting of Commitments Photo Opportunities Closing Ceremonies

Expected Participants: 50 to 80 people

Department Of Interior and Local Government