Today is Software Freedom Day (SFD). An event which promotes open source softwares and platforms. The event is sponsored by different IT companies, schools and organizations such as ACER, IBM, 8layer, University of Baguio, POSNet, iSchool, PLDT and many more. Different speakers from different fields of IT are lined up. As well as different activities such as php programming, live blogging, and many exciting activities. There are prizes as well that are given by the organizers to have the audience participate.The first speaker talked about how open source applications or softwares contributes and promotes open governance and as what one speaker mentioned, open source applications/softwares can let us get back to direct democracy wherein each individual has inputs or views of his own rather than being just represented by someone else.

Other speakers are from the universities spoke about how the education society uses free/open source softwares (FOSS) and what are the events they put up to propagate this FOSS initiative.

Some also spoke about plans and projects that the Philippines government participating in aims to promote IT in the country. Thus the creation of Commision on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) which puts these plans and programs into action. Based from a representative from CICT, they are propagating IT infrastuctures and provide learnings to different schools on different parts of the Philippines. As well as different laws that are passed in congress that promotes the use and propagation of free or open source softwares in the country. To know more about them, you can visit their websites at ischools.org and cict.gov.ph.

All of the topics discussed and presented during SFD points into one and distint topic – the use, propagate and encourage filipinos to use free and open source softwares.

And of course, to enable us to have a choice and have the chance to collaborate with a community of free and open source applications.

All in all, this event showed to the participants that there are open source applications that are alternatives to propriety softwares. Definitely, this proved to be an informative and fun event that I have attented.

Now, I am looking forward to the next event. Would you like to join me?