1. SBTPI/SOSS
B y R om m el G . R ebollid o

2. Established in June

2003 as an
enterprise by three
journalists and three
other entrepreneurs
based in General
Santos City
Registered with the

SEC that same year
Initial plan was to

start a publishing
venture (newspaper)
but was shelved for
financial reasons

3. SBTPI
Shifted focus on offering journalism trainings involving

students, local firms, government agencies and local
government units
In 2006, SBTPI published a quarterly/special edition business

news magazine Mindanao Economic Review
Strengthened training component, with focus on specialized

journalism skills and new media
Established partnerships with academic institutions (KNCHS)

and media institutions to beef up the new media training
program

4. Mindanao Economic

Review's T'nalak
Festival 2007 Special
Edition

5. Journalism Trainings

6. FOSS and SBTPI
I egr ed FO SS
nt at

applcatons i new m edi
ii n a
tai ng pr am s (
r ni ogr desktop
publshi
i ng)
Som e m em ber st t t
s ared o

m i at t open sour
gr e o ce
oper i syst s
atng em

7. Joi
ned FO SS and

new m edi tai ngs
a r ni
( a Sour I i
Asi ce I n
Sukabum i I
, ndonesi a
and Seacem 's
Brdgi t N ew
i ng he
M edi W or
a kshop in
Kual Lum pur
a ,
M al a)
aysi

8. March 2007
SBTPI started FOSS advocacy

Acted as secretariat for the then Socsksargen

Open Source Network
Initial plan was to launch training programs on

new media using FOSS applications

9. August-September 2007
SBTPI helped organize the 1st Open

Technology Fair of Koronadal National
Comprehensive High School

10. October 2007, SBTPI

pushed for the reorganization
and expansion of SOSN
The new group adopted the

name Socsksargen Open
Source Society (SOSS)
SOSS core group is based

in Koronadal City

12. What SOSS wants to achieve:
Help mainstream FOSS, at least in
Southwestern Mindanao or Region 12 (mainly
in the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan
Kudarat, Sarangani and the cities of Koronadal
and General Santos)

14. SOSS is composed of:
Journalists (print, radio)

Teachers/Instructors (High School/College)

Entrepreneurs

IT Professionals (programmers, graphic

artists, etc)
Etc (Bronx - :)


15. Members (25 active) are from South Cotabato, Sultan

Kudarat, Sarangani and cities of Koronadal and General
Santos
Meets once weekly and maintains daily exchanges

through googlegroups
(opensocsksargen@googlegroups.com)
SEC registration is now in the works

We welcome other FOSS advocates to join us


16. Activities
SOSS was adopted by MSU-GenSan as working

group for the 1st OpenHUBS
Maintain exchanges with UNDP-IOSN for FOSS

advocacy efforts with Socsksargen or Region 12
Work closely with the KNCHS FOSS Society for

learning exchanges with students

17. Plans/Upcoming Activities:
FOSS Camp (Socsksargen high schools/PC for Public

Schools program recipients), third week of January 2008
Launch non-formal/formal computer education classes

using FOSS in coordination with DepEd and TESDA,
June 2008
Launch trainings on FOSS for B'laan and T'boli high

school students, Summer 2008
Launch 'Open Socsksargen 2008,' a regional open

source festival

18. Set up open source showcases in trade fairs (SME

Week, MICT, T'nalak Festival)
Offer FOSS training programs for local companies in

partnership with academic institutions
Organize the 2nd Open Technology Fair (KNCHS)

FOSS for Journalists?


19. We need to generate resources to fund our
advocacy...
Our strength is in publishing (web and print)

Partner with SBTPI for a web-based news magazine

venture
Long term: showcase a publishing venture

(magazine, weekly community newspaper, web news
magazine) operating mainly on FOSS

20. We need to learn/update ourselves on
FOSS, etc...
We created a training committee that will look for

FOSS training opportunities for members (local or
outside the region, preferably free :)
Link up with other FOSS groups

Mentoring/sharing within the group


21. Daghang Salamat!