ASEAN Lecture Series at Mapúa MCL Kicks Off with Digital Halo: Highlighting Data Centers and SDG 9
The ASEAN Month celebration at Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (Mapua MCL) continued to gain momentum on August 27, 2024, with the launch of the ASEAN Lecture Series by the Office for Strategic Partnerships and Global Engagement (OSPGE). This lecture series is designed to educate the audience about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with resource speakers sharing their insights and experiences on various SDG-related topics.
The series kicked off with an enlightening session led by experts from Digital Halo and ARCH Capital Management, who introduced the concept of Data Centers in support of SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
Eric Manuel, Director of Investment and Asset Management from ARCH Capital Management, commenced the lecture with a compelling discussion on the critical role of digital infrastructure in driving economic development. He provided detailed insights into the digital evolution of the Philippines and introduced the audience to ARCH Capital Management, a private equity firm renowned for its strategic real estate investments across the Asia Pacific region. With a focus on opportunistic, value-added, and core/core-plus strategies, ARCH Capital Management has established itself as a key player in the Asian real estate market.
Building on this foundation, the second speaker, Ms. Maricar Burgos-Nepomuceno, Country Director of Digital Halo, delved deeper into the concept of digital centers and the role of Digital Halo in this rapidly evolving sector. Digital Halo, based in Cainta, Rizal, specializes in the development, investment, and operation of digital infrastructure across Southeast and North Asia. As an extension of the strategic partnership between ARCH Capital and Manulife Investment Management, Digital Halo plays a crucial role in the digital age, providing essential infrastructure that supports the storage, processing, and transmission of data.
Ms. Nepomuceno emphasized the pivotal function of data centers, showcasing their importance through a video presentation that offered a glimpse into Digital Halo’s state-of-the-art offices and facilities. She highlighted how these centers house the servers, networking equipment, and other hardware essential for the digital economy’s backbone.
The third and final speaker, Ms. Lee Kheng Tan, Chief Technology Officer of Digital Halo, flew in from Singapore to address the students. Her enthusiasm was palpable as she shared insights about the Digital Halo core team, the current state of digital technology, and the intricacies of data centers as a system. Her presentation underscored the technological advancements driving the digital revolution and how Digital Halo is at the forefront of these developments.
The event concluded on a high note with an engaging question-and-answer session complete with polls and live questions from the audience which sparked lively discussions and enthusiasm among the attendees. Beyond the lively exchange, the event underscored the transformative potential of the data industry while reinforcing the critical role of innovation and infrastructure in driving sustainable development. It aligned seamlessly with SDG 9’s mission to build resilient industries for a better future.