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Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
El Nido gears up to protect the environment
El Nido is taking steps in protecting their environment. The municipal government has implemented an Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF) in which tourist will pay P200 while people who are not resident of EL Nido Palawan will pay P100 while Php50 for students. Payment of this fee would provide tourist 10 day access to tourism sites within El Nido.
The funds acquire from the ETDF would be allocated to resource rehabilitation, solid waste management, tourism development and environmental protection. Other proceeds of the funds would be allocated to the certain projects like barangay coastal resource management and watershed projects.
The El Nido municipality is also taking steps in removing a large sea star known as crowns of tourns which preys on the coral polyps. They are also on the process of training of tour guides on ecology and are enforcing strict policy on the how many people are allowed in certain tourist spots.
This is a very big step in protecting the environment especially now that Global warming is worsening. You may think the coral beds are safe from the planet’s heat because they are submerged under water but guess again. The increase in sea surface temperatures causes bleaching of corals. From 1997 to 1998, an El Nino event has caused severe damage to the country’s coral bed. Every small step in lessening the planet’s carbon dioxide goes a long way.
Guimaras at risk of a meter increase in sea level.
The effects of Global warming are becoming a big threat not to Guimaras alone but the whole province of Iloilo as well. According to the Climate Change commission (CCC), a total of 8647 hectares of Iloilo province is at risk of a one-meter sea level increase. Why is the sea level increasing? It is because of the rapid melting of the planet’s glacier due to Global warming.A study by University of Philippines Los Baños has stated that the three most vulnerable to a one meter sea level rise are Cagayan, followed by Palawan and then Palawan. Global warming also causes the increase in frequency and intensity of storms which would hit the Philippines.
The Philippines has been pleading for more developed countries to cut down carbon dioxide emission since the Kyoto Protocol to lessen the increase in the destructive storms that are caused by Climate change. The extreme weather anomalies like the drought in the Philippines, has already caused the destruction of million pesos worth of crops. Last year Typhoon Ondoy has caused the destruction of infrastructure and property. Now that the rainy season is coming, Filipinos are wondering if another Ondoy will hit the country. One thing is for sure, everybody has to do their part to mitigate the effects of Global warming.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Smallville Season 9 Finale
I have been busy lately that I have not had the chance to catch up with my favorite TV series. I have been an avid fan of Smallville and I have watched all the episode since season 1. I have to admit that I prefer the first three season of Smallville. The fourth season onward was filled with a lot of stories not connected to the Comics. But then again, the whole story of the series was from a 20 minute part of the Superman movies which starred Christopher Reeves.
At first I really enjoyed watching the series and the 1 week wait for the next episode to air was way too long for me. It was so exciting then. But I have started to lose interested with the series. The series is starting to be more like a Justice League series than a story about Clark.I think they have delayed his flight long enough. I have been waiting for it in the last four seasons.
There were a episodes in the last season that have spark my interest though. I enjoyed the episode called "Justice". It was an one hour episode on how Clark met the Justice League. It was pretty interesting how the episode turned out.
Now that season 9 has ended. There are a lot of questions that everybody who is watching the series is asking. Will it be time to Fly for Clark? In the last part of the season Finale, Clark was falling from a building unable to use his power because he was stabbed by Zod with a Blue Kryptonite. All the Candorians were transported to a different planet. But is the place the paradise that they hope for? In the episode, Clark had a short dream in the year 2013. In the dream, the newspaper front page is saying that Lex Luthor would be running for president.
So these are the questions that Smallville are asking for. Will Clark fly at last? Will Michael Rosenbaum return to Smallville to play as Lex Luthor? Is that the end of Zod? Will Clark finally wear his cape in the coming season?
Michael Rosenbaum
I think Clark will finally learn to fly. For Lex Luthor to return to Smallville, I really hope so. He has not done that much damage to Clark to be really called his arch enemy. For Zod, I don't know what will happen to him. But remember in the Superman movie, Lex Luthor offered his help to Zod. I guess we will have to see.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Child Soldiers in the Philippines
I was reading this article in a local newspaper about rebel army using children as spies, human shields and soldiers. I have heard about this issue regarding child soldier. A film called “Blood Diamond” staring Leonardo Dicaprio was one the movies about this issue. It is about the Diamond trade in Africa and people were training Children at a young age to be soldiers.
I never thought that the Philippines is one the country that has rebel armies that uses Children as soldiers. Three out of the 16 different armies and insurgent groups worldwide that has use children in last five years are from the Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the New People’s Army (NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation front are the three groups in the Philippines that use child soldiers. It is a sad thing because the media has not focused on this particular issue that much.
The United Nations (UN) has asked the Philippine Government to take measures to prevent Rebel Armies to stop using children. Philippines is the one of the two countries in Southeast Asia were child soldiers are used in armed conflicts. Mynamar is the second country in Southeast Asia that in the list. They also have three armies in Mynamar: The Rebel Karenni Army, Karen National Liberation Army and the Myanmar’s national army (Tatmadaw Kyi). The countries in the list with armed and rebel groups, in Congo, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Central Africa, Colombia and Somalia.
There is good news though. Armies like the MILF, Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist has plans on signing an agreement that would end the recruitment of children as soldiers, The MILF has are been talking with the Philippine government about peace since Dec 2009.
Protect your Facebook account
Almost everybody I know owns a facebook account. Everybody is so hook with the games that Facebook offers and is the reason why the site is now number 1 among all the networking sites. It’s amazing that it took Facebook only a few years to eclipse his biggest rival in the social networking sites, Friendster. But since Facebook population has grown, so are the identity thieves out there.
It is not good to flag every single detail about your life on the internet like your birthday, the name of your spouse, family and even your children. You could modify certain information in your profile to keep your identity safe. To modify your birthday, go to your profile page and then you will see an info tab. Click that. And then click on the edit information and then under the Basic Information section, you option whether or not to show your birthday or show only the month and day.
You could also restrict your photos, personal and family information. You have a choice to limit sharing your personal information and photos. Simply go to search sections of your privacy controls and select only friends for Facebook. This would prevent people you don’t know having a facebook or anyone browsing the internet in your personal information. Hope anyone finds this useful
Sunday, May 23, 2010
It’s Sizzling hot in the Philippines
PAGASA has confirmed that the country in not having a heat wave. Temperature must be consistently between 37 to 38 degrees Celsius for it to be considered as one. A day with a 36 degrees temperature is normal especially during the month of May. According to the head of PAGASA, Nathaniel Cruz, they could only declare a heat wave when temperature is two or three degrees higher than the 34 degrees for five consecutive days. One of the reasons for the higher temperature nowadays is due to the summer solstice.
From May 12 to 16, the temperature has been from 36.1 to 37.2 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature recorded in Metro Manila was 37.3 degree Celsius and that was last April 28. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has said that the El Niño phenomenon is weakening and it is possible that rainy season would come by the last week of May or the first week of June.
This summer has to be hottest in the Philippines. How I wish time could fly since the scorching heat is really becoming an inconvenient. I am not really of a fan of the rainy season because of what has happened last year with Typhoon Ondoy (International name Ketsana) but if it is an escape to this unbearable heat, then I welcome the rainy season with both arms wide open.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sea level in Taiwan increases
Two thirds of Taiwan is covered by Mountains. The remaining third is where their Cities, industry zones, three power plants and a petrochemical complex are located. Over 20 Billion US dollars was spent by Formosa Plastics Group in the 1990s for the said complex.
Since majority of their economic zones are located mostly on flat land near sea level, the increase in the sea level caused by Global warming is becoming a concern. An earth Scientist at Academia Sinica has said that the rise in the seal levels may submerge Taiwan’s western low-lying areas.
In South of Taiwan, A 300 year old Goddess Matsu temple is at risk of being completely submerged if the sea levels increase further. According to the temple’s chief secretary the temple is flooded every year. Now a 63 million dollar project is set to build a new temple which is 3 meters (10 feet) higher than the original site. The new Temple would safe from flood and rising sea level for many years to come.
Global warming is now taking its toll on planet. Low-lying areas such as Taiwan are at great risk of being submerged if Global warming worsens.
Monday, May 3, 2010
I am going to be a daddy to a baby girl!
Sometimes It feels surreal that I would be a dad in just a few months. I sometimes forget that a baby is growing in my wife's womb. But every time I could feel my child moving and kicking in my wife's womb, It reminds me that a miracle is growing within my wife's body.Some Couples don't want to know the gender of their child before they are born. They want to keep it as a surprise. Not me. I wanted to know since my wife found out that she was pregnant. It actually doesn't matter if the child is a boy or a girl. What matters is that the child healthy.
After several ultrasound we have confirmed that we will be parents to baby girl. Time really flies. A few years ago, I wouldn't have imagined that I would be a dad this soon. It was unexpected but it was a delightful surprise. We are lucky because there are a lot of couples out there who are so eager to have a child but have not yet been bless with one. In my opinion, marriage is not complete without a child.
After several ultrasound we have confirmed that we will be parents to baby girl. Time really flies. A few years ago, I wouldn't have imagined that I would be a dad this soon. It was unexpected but it was a delightful surprise. We are lucky because there are a lot of couples out there who are so eager to have a child but have not yet been bless with one. In my opinion, marriage is not complete without a child.
I wanted to be sure before buying things for our child. My wife and I have started to buy the baby's things a month ago. Since we were not sure of the gender back then, we were buying things with neutral color. Most of the things that we have bought then were colored white. But now since we know that we will be having a baby girl, we started buying girl clothes. Mostly are color pink.
We haven't fully decided the name of child. But I like the name Mikhaila which comes from Michael which means light.We are still discussing about a second name. Since Mikhaila is my choice the second name would be decided by my wife. Fair enough right? I can't wait until our little baby girl is born.
We haven't fully decided the name of child. But I like the name Mikhaila which comes from Michael which means light.We are still discussing about a second name. Since Mikhaila is my choice the second name would be decided by my wife. Fair enough right? I can't wait until our little baby girl is born.
