TOPIC: Advocacy Work For I-Cafe Industry

If my memory serves me right, I have read from a thread where Mr 'M' mentioned that I-Cafe Pilipinas is his advocacy group composed of a few lanshop owners. (Sa mga nasa I-Cafe Pilipinas, please correct me if I'm wrong with the info).

If that would be the case, ICP do not represent a considerable magnitude of the lanshop owners. Whatever representations they would make do not really reflect the sentiments of the industry players. And with the not so good stigma already attached to ICP, industry players would be most likely hesitant to join. Moreover, an advocacy group may make moves from a theoretical standpoint, which in the long-run will not really solve issues with the industry.

It would be better if a new organization would be created to represent this sector. An multi-faceted organization that would promote the best interest of the industry players, and one that would create balance between profit and social responsibility.

Katropa wrote:

lanshop2010 wrote:

Katropa wrote:

SongHyeKyo wrote:

homebiz.com wrote:
3. May representation ang bawat region ng bansa

Ganyan ngayon sa gsm sandwich forum.

ito choice ko:


Create a new organization to handle the Advocacy.

Sang-ayon ako dito. Bagong organisasyon na mas malaki ang sakop. Mas maigi kung ang mga miyembro ay representative ng iba't ibang internet cafe organization sa iba't ibang lugar para para hindi kontrolado ng iilang tao lang. Regular ang meeting para magkakilanlan ng harapan at hindi sa forum lang.

+1 we need this organization to fulfill the needs of lanshop industry, kung ok lang sa inyo start from scratch...

+1, and maganda ang mga mamumuno ay mga positive players sa industriya. Mahirap kasi yung mamuno yung mga palugi na or nagsara na, panay negative thinkers.

si iCafe Pilipinas = doing Advocy Works/representation (dahil siya ang nirerecognize ng government)

Maybe this was the case because only ICP is there that exists and claim to represent the lanshop industry. I'm sure entities with business interests to the lanshop industry would love to negotiate to any organized group of industry players.

i voted FORGET IT.

i've seen how the icp was run, however honest the intention was, it doesn't have any effect. there will be lots of temptation to compromise & to drift from the goal.

advocacy groups in small scale business is a lost cause. there will be no source of funds, those that will support will claim bias to their side. the percentage of 'owners' that the advocacy can represent is dwarfed by both extremes - the bigtime legal netcafe franchises & the illegal small scale backyard netcafe. both of this majority extremes will not play for personal interest. thats the hard fact of life.

advocacy group in the netcafe industry is a lost cause.

advocacy group in the netcafe industry is a lost cause.

very sad statement but seems true!

In that connection this industry seems hopeless, too much competition (worst are those who have magic and can bring down price to impossible level), too much government control just like what's happening in Valenzuella and may happen nation wide, no national federation/organization to protect it's interest.

what's left for us operators?


hayzzzz talaga.. isip isip na lang talaga.

Mabuti na rin yung merong advocacy group. Kung di sa I-Cafe Pilipinas di mapipigilan ang IP Seal na 5T/year, ang registration ng ating mga hard drives, among other things.

Yun nga lang kailangan talagang buksan ang membership para makapasok ang iba pang ideas at magkaroon ng total representation ng I-Cafe industry.

Pwede po ba Bossing paki post dito iyong advocacy at platforms ng ICP so new members can review and study them. And please enumerate all the problems you encountered within the organization. We can't formulate a solution without knowing the problems. Who are the leaders of ICP? What are their backgrounds? Dapat ba magbago ng leadership? Why? Gaano karami ang existing members nito? May proper representation ba ang bawat region? And please enumerate all the things done by the existing organization that were beneficial to the current members and the LANSHOP Industry as a whole.

EeeZee wrote: Pwede po ba Bossing paki post dito iyong advocacy at platforms ng ICP so new members can review and study them. And please enumerate all the problems you encountered within the organization. We can't formulate a solution without knowing the problems. Who are the leaders of ICP? What are their backgrounds? Dapat ba magbago ng leadership? Why? Gaano karami ang existing members nito? May proper representation ba ang bawat region? And please enumerate all the things done by the existing organization that were beneficial to the current members and the LANSHOP Industry as a whole.

I regret to say that I cannot respond to your request in details. I-Cafe Pilipinas was organized in response to the need of the i-cafe industry at that time . . . to have a voice at the national level to express what is best for the stakeholders regarding any issue that could affect the industry.

Regarding what it accomplished, I wish to refer you to TIMELINE: Advocacy Work for I-Café Industry . In the same reference are what need to be done if the advocacy work for the i-cafe industry will be pursued. For other details regarding I-Cafe Pilipinas, I wish to refer you to its website at http://www.icafepilipinas.org/ .

Please allow me to say again that I made this poll and discussions to determine how you want the advocacy work to continue or stop if you so decide. I also wish for everyone to respect whatever will be the wish of the majority. Thanks again.

Cybertronix wrote: i voted FORGET IT.

i've seen how the icp was run, however honest the intention was, it doesn't have any effect. there will be lots of temptation to compromise & to drift from the goal.

advocacy groups in small scale business is a lost cause. there will be no source of funds, those that will support will claim bias to their side. the percentage of 'owners' that the advocacy can represent is dwarfed by both extremes - the bigtime legal netcafe franchises & the illegal small scale backyard netcafe. both of this majority extremes will not play for personal interest. thats the hard fact of life.

advocacy group in the netcafe industry is a lost cause.

wag naman kayo mawalan ng pag asa... ikaw na tao ka... dahil sa iyo naging legal ang OS ko tapos ngayon aayaw ayaw ka... kung may katapusan... merong simula... kaya pwede ba master hindi pa tayo nag sisimula, marami pa tayong dapat gawin para sa industry natin... we need options not stoppage....

reality bites.

the bottomline is that the netcafe industry is an inverted pyramid :

majority is the illegal smalltime netcafe operators
then the minority middle class legal operators
and the few big franchise operators.

the franchises have it all for them, they can't be touched, they have now the backup of big muscle companies. so they won't care for any advocacy group for the simple reason that they have enough clout to disapprove any policies that will be against them.

the majority are the illegal operators. mostly backyard business. illegal OS, no business permits, + all the unethical and unprofessional business practice of the industry as discussed before. they wouldn't care or join any advocacy that will threaten their existence.

now what remains are the minority middleclass legal netcafe owners which unfortunately are very well scattered in the PHL.

For me it would be a waste of time and resources to campaign for any policy that will benefit the whole triangle. for the simple reason that the few elites wouldn't care and the majority bastards will also not care.

Frankly speaking, among the 20 bulletpoints in which the ICP claimed as its achievements since 2009 how many directly equates to higher earnings for our bracket of industry (the middle class netcafe)? to those that are 'middle class' netcafe owners, have your earnings been influenced by the existence of ICP ? and if there was, whats the percentage compared to the totality of 'middle class' ? is it worth the effort?

this is where i draw my reality, bawal ang martir sa industriya. you don't help those who don't need help and those that would not want to be helped.

the advocacy is fine and the goal is worthy, i'm just saying that current resources and environment will not allow this to happen.

for me. the current setup of ICAs should do the job. it can deliver more results if given the same noble goals and aspirations of the ICP. doable.