Today is Software Freedom Day Philippines 2011

Taken from Google

Today is Software Freedom Day here in the Philippines. It is a yearly event that promotes software freedom or the use of free and open-source software ranging from your operating system to applications that are used everyday at work and at home for business and educational purpose.

Thie event is organized by the Computer Professionals' Union (CPU), a nation-wide organization of ICT professionals, students and advocates united in Advancing ICT for the People. Its primary mission is to  promote FOSS as an alternative to proprietary software solutions in the industry. In 2010, SFD Phils promoted SFD as a tool for social change in education, advocacy and entrepreneurship.

For a country like ours, the affordability viability of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) is very much important as more than half of the IT population don't have the resources to buy licensed software (hence some resort to piracy). The event also showcase to the world that IT can exist event with the absence of patents and monopolistic copyrights (that sometimes cripple ones finances).

As years pass, the number of participants increase as it expands to as high as 700 (and still growing). It is proof that more and more people are becoming aware and educated about software freedom and open-source software.

I may not have attended today's event. But my support for a free and open-source software will always be there. And besides who doesn't want free software right? XD.

For more information about the Software Freedom Day, you may visit their link.