With the strong backing from the USM leadership, Dr. Palasig U. Ampang, SUC Vice-President IV for Administration and Finance, is leading officials and personnel in laying down final plans for the migration of its computer systems to F/OSS in realization of its numerous benefits and to address the increasing problems of high-cost proprietary software procurement. Foremost in its ICT roll-out planning for 2008, USM-Kabacan will conduct series of lectures, seminars, workshops and trainings for its personnel in anticipation of workflow changes and to ensure smooth transition to a forthcoming predominantly F/OSS-driven workplace.

The participation of USM-Kabacan in the 1st OpenHUBS Conference held last 27-29 November 2007 in Alabel, Sarangani Province further strengthened its networking efforts among the various F/OSS personalities and groups present thus, paving the way to a more robust ICT migration agenda.

Indeed, barely less than a month from attending the conference, university officials led by Dr. Ampang in cooperation with the USM Management Information Systems (MIS) Unit organized an Orientation Seminar-Workshop on Free/Open Source Software last 20-21 December 2007, which was hosted by the USM Human Resource and Development Training headed by its director, Dr. Sharon I. Meriales.

Keynoting the event, Dr. Ampang underscored on the importance, service, and the application of F/OSS at the University in terms of technological advancement in computer operating systems and management. He also reiterated USM President Oliva's support for the total migration to F/OSS by the first quarter of 2008. Engineer Alberto Arellano, MIS Unit Head gave a short briefing and training overview to the participants.

Resource persons and their respective topics are as follows: Proprietary Software and Licensing by Engr. Gerardo Ulep; Orientation on Various F/OSS by Engr. Alberto Arellano; The F/OSS- a) Server by Mr. Virgilio P. Oliva, Jr., b) Operating System by Mr. Eugene Ranjo, and c) Content Management System by Mr. Renel Alucilja; and F/OSS Applications by Engr. Crislam Mantawil, Messrs. Joel Gomez, Eugene Ranjo and Renel Alucilja.

Attended by fifty-nine (59) frontline USM personnel, employees, and staff coming from the different units of the University, the orientation-workshop signals the start of the USM migration from proprietary to free/open source software computing system.

To further sustain its current efforts, USM-Kabacan is also eyeing other agencies within the North Cotabato Province for possible collaborations to engage into F/OSS-related technologies for their administrative and management needs in conjunction with continuous networking with the participants of the 1st OpenHUBS Conference.

The 1st OpenHUBS Conference was jointly supported by the IOSN ASEAN+3 and InWEnt Capacity Building International, Germany in line with its it@foss Program and organized by the MSU-GenSan Computer Center with the SoCSKSarGen Open Source Society (SOSS) and the Koronadal National Comprehensive High School (KNCHS) FOSS Society. MSU-GenSan was launched as an OpenHUB - a F/OSS Resource Center to cater the ICT needs of the SoCSKSarGen region.


(Edited for online posting with original content and photos from mrtan with additional details included)