FUDCon:Bid for Philippines 2012

Bid Withdrawn
http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/ambassadors/2012-February/019068.html

Organizing Team

• Antonio, Magie
• Antonio, Engels
• Grace, Dona Marie
• Laurinaria, Arnold
• Pagcaliwagan, Heherson

Possible Dates

We're looking at the following dates:

• 25-27 May 2012
• 24-26 August 2012

Quezon City

Quezon City (popularly known to Filipinos as QC) is the former national capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located in the island of Luzon, it is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region.

The main campuses of two noteworthy universities that we're considering, the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines (the country's national university) are both located in the city.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA, also known as Manila International Airport, is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area. Located along the border between Pasay and Parañaque, about seven kilometers south of Manila proper, and southwest of Makati, NAIA is the main international gateway for travelers to the Philippines and is the hub for all Philippine airlines.

NAIA is a 30-minute drive from Quezon City.

Local Mass Transit

Jeepney is the cheapest mode of transportation and most major roads and destinations are covered by multiple jeepney routes. The first 4 kilometers costs PHP 8.00 (equivalent to USD 0.19 = SGD 0.25 = CNY 1.19 = MYR 0.56)

Public buses, operated by private bus companies, are also available on main routes and could be more convenient and roughly the same price as jeepneys.

Metered taxis in the metro are probably the most comfortable option. These are air-conditioned cabs that has flag down rates of PHP 25.00 and an additional PHP 2.00 per succeeding 200 meters.

Finally, two lines of the metro system (LRT Line 2 and MRT) run through main points along Quezon City and other neighboring cities. While area coverage is limited, this is the best option for avoiding road traffic especially during rush hours.

Proposed Venues

University of the Philippines

UP, the national university of the country was established in 1908. The UP System has 7 universities in 11 campuses located in different parts of the country and 1 virtual campus (Open University). UP Diliman is the flagship university, seat of administration, and the fourth oldest constituent university of the University of the Philippines System.

Ateneo de Manila University

AdMU is a private university run by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) since 1859. This is where our national hero, Jose Rizal studied. The university has also several campuses nationwide.

The organizers have strong ties with the above institutions having either taught, studied or worked with them in past events. Room configuration will greatly depend on expected attendees. WiFi is usually available on campus.

Proposed Lodging

The UP National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (NISMED) is an extension arm of the University of the Philippines whose goal is to raise the level of science and mathematics education in the Philippines at the basic and teacher education levels.

If UP will be the final venue, the NISMED hostel will be a 3-5-minute walk to the event's venue since they are both inside the campus premises.

Four (4) Type A rooms with air conditioners; private toilet and bath; total capacity of 8 guests.

• Single Occupancy = USD 70.00
• Double Occupancy = USD 100.00

Twenty (20) Type B rooms with air conditioners; toilet and bath shared by two rooms; total capacity of 40 guests.

• Single Occupancy = USD 60.00
• Double Occupancy = USD 95.00

Estimated Cost of Flights

Sample Singapore Airlines roundtrip rates to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA):

• Arrival in Manila: May 24, 2012 (Thursday)
• Departure from Manila: May 28, 2012 (Monday)

Airport	Local Rates	USD Rates
Singapore (SIN)	SGD 304.00	44.22
Brisbane (BNE)	AUD 1,122.00	1,212.60
Guangzhou (CAN)	CNY 3,836.00	609.45
Malaysia (KUL)	MYR 1,561.00	518.83
Hongkong (HKG)	HKD 3,110.00	401.08
Bangalore (BLR)	INR 36,750.00	740.79
Colombo (CMB)	LKR 74,966.00	656.05
Hanoi (HAN)	USD 598.22	598.22
Tokyo (TYO)	JPY 81,520.00	1,059.27
Auckland (AKL)	NZD 1,620.24	1,355.04
Phoenix (PHX)	USD 1,526.12	1,526.12

Pros and Cons

• Majority of the organizing team are long-standing contributors to the Fedora Project.
• Bluepoint Foundation (which has been supporting us in all Fedora-related activities since 2003) has allocated resources for FUDCon Manila specifically for this year.
• Our team has a lot of experience running/attending events of similar scale (LCA2011, FUDCon Pune, APNG, Software Freedom Day, Linux Day, Philippine Sahana Initiative, Nooku Code Jam Manila, Bluepoint Road Tour, GeekCamp).
• The Philippines does not require visas from most visitors, especially those from Southeast Asian countries.