The recent tsunami scare in northern Samar over the weekend somehow demonstrated confusion among residents living in outlying coastal areas around the country, prompting the authorities to make clear their position on issuing alerts.

Bartolome C. Bautista, deputy director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the agen­cy has lifted the Tsunami Alert Level 1 in relation to the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred in northern Japan, Jan. 12 five hours after it issued the advisory or bulletin since the recent tremor would not spin any tsunami. As a result, hundreds of residents in the area abandoned their homes and sought refuge to safer places after the Phivolcs issued the advisory. Ac­cording to Phivolcs’ classification of alert levels, Alert Level 1 means that a strong earthquake occurred and that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Japan dis­closed that a Pacific wide tsunami is prob­able.

Phivolcs deputy director Bartolome C. Bautista explains the agency’s communication scheme for Trans-Pacific tsunami

With this, Bautista clarified the issu­ance of tsunami alert levels saying that it is important for the public to be aware of the warning levels so that no repeat of a tsunami scare will happen again.
Bautista also said that the agency has two sources to monitor tsunamis that oc­cur in several countries in the world—the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii and Northwest Pacific Tsunami Warning Center based in Japan. While there is no existing equipment in place to monitor this kind of natural activity in the Philippines, Bautista asks people to be conscious of natural signs should strong and prolonged tremors take place within the country.

Education campaigns conducted by Phivolcs staff are ongoing but due to lim­ited resources the agency cannot do them often and in every coastal community in the country.

An early warning device or equipment is still under test; hence it is not being used at present. Phivolcs classifies alert levels into four, which would serve as a guide for the citizens. The public, he said, needs to be educated and informed about the alert lev­els and with the absence of existing equip­ment in the Philippines, the people should be conscious of natural signs in the ocean should massive earthquake happens. These natural signs can be a sudden and unusual drop or recession of ocean water that usu­ally takes minutes, and not hours.

There are four tsunami alert levels, Alert level O, Alert Level 1, 2 and 3. Alert Level O means that there is a strong earthquake but PTWC disclosed that no Pacific wide tsunami is probable; Alert 1, as explained earlier says that an earthquake with high potential for tsunami occurred. Threatened coastal communities are advised to prepare for possible evacuation. (A tsunami Alert or watch is issued to all countries along the Pacific Rim by PTWC).

Alert 2, on the other hand, translates that a tsunami was confirmed from sea level monitoring stations but wave am­plitude is considered not damaging to coastal areas. Only minor sea level changes are expected but the public is still advised to observe Tsunami Safety Precautionary Measures (TSPM). Alert Level 3, a tsunami was confirmed from sea level monitoring stations and wave amplitude is considered destructive to coastal areas. Evacuation of threatened coastal communities to higher grounds is strongly recommended.

He, however, said that Alert Level 3 also means that an emergency evacuation is strongly recommended to all communi­ties living near shorelines, adding that tsu­nami is measured to be destructive. “What’s important to note is that Alert Levels 1 and 2 do not require immediate evacuation. When Alert Level 3 is issued, immediate evacuation is recommended and that people in coastal communities should seek higher grounds, away from the shorelines,” Bautista said.

Back to Top

The Light of Linnaeus

THE DEPARTMENT OF Tourism Region VII Central Visayas recent­ly spearheaded the introduction of a guidebook on Bohol as well as a promo­tional video on the Central Visayas region in lively ceremonies held in Tagbilaran City, Bohol last week.

Several Bohol VIPs led by Gov. Eri­co Aumentado commended the DOT for their twin achievements which will further establish the region as the top tourism cor­ridor of the country.

Gov. Aumentado called it a “historic occasion” since the DOT and PDP Digital Inc., the publishing company, joined forc­es to come up with the guidebook dubbed “Your Guide to Bohol.”

Cong. Edgar Chatto, chair of the House committee on tourism, congratulated the DOT for the milestone as he expressed optimism that Bohol will get an even big­ger slice of the tourism market as a result of the new guidebook.

“Bohol has taken a bigger leap for­ward as a result of the combined forces of the private sector and the DOT. While we have hit our targets in 2006, we aim for more in 2007,” he declared.

Edu Jarque, DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions, was visibly overwhelmed as he proclaimed that Bohol was the easiest province to sell to the overseas market.

“It’s a fruitful partnership between the private sector and the government. Better yet, change in Bohol has always been a totally positive transformation in all as­pects,” he said.

DOT Regional Director Dawnie Roa pointed out that she moved for the launch­ing ceremonies to take place in Bohol since they would benefit the most from the event.

“We have put together a guidebook and the video to further promote Central Visayas to the world. For this I thank PDP Digital Inc. headed by Daniel Carpentier for their very valuable contributions to the tourism industry,” she affirmed.

The guidebook features the different eco-tourism spots in Bohol such as the Chocolate Hills, the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary, the Loboc River, the centuries-old churches all over the province, as well as the pristine white-sand beaches along the shorelines.

Heading the editorial tasks was Honey Jarque Loop, a columnist of the Philippine Star; and Quennie Sanchez Bronce, news editor of The Freeman. Bronce has also written for the Cebu counterpart guide­book.

PDP Digital Inc. has published a total of five books; Best of Cebu and Bohol; Your Guide to Cebu; Your Guide to Bo­hol; Philippine Diving: Ultimate Guide to Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Apo Island; and its Japanese version.

The company also manufactures all kinds of tourism collaterals such as post­cards, maps, brochures, and calendars for the DOT and for retail purposes.

The Central Visayas eight-minute vid­eo was produced by the Ramasola Studio, a Bohol-based production company. The product features a brief summary of the various tourism landmarks and attractions of the four CV provinces; Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

The video will be disseminated to visiting foreign media and travel trade practitioners during trade shows, sales missions, and during the recently-held Asean Summit.

Back to Top

Glowing Outlook for Cebu Commerce and Industry

WHILE THE CEBU Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) achieved new highs last year, the business organization looks for­ward to hitting even loftier goals and pro­grams this year. This was the consensus of CCCI presi­dent Francis Monera in a recent year-end briefing as he also credited the role of me­dia in the coverage of the chamber’s many events.

Among the more prominent landmarks for CCCI last year, Monera cited the stag­ing of the four-day historic Asian Busi­ness and Investment Summit (ABIS), the copping of the ISO 9000 certificate (a first in the country), the meeting of individual business tycoons dubbed “Meet the Busi­ness Legends;” and the ultra-successful InTourPreneur (Information Technology, Tourism, Entrepreneurship) series of si­multaneous conferences held during the annual Cebu Business Month (CBM) last June.

Other milestones include the comple­tion of the Waterfront Police Station; the staging of the Beauty, Health and Well­ness Show; the creation of seven city-to-city business councils in seven countries; and the upcoming proclamation of declar­ing the entire Cebu province as a Special Economic Zone, etc.

Probably taking the cake was the an­nouncement of the CCCI as the Most Outstanding Chamber in the Philippines as awarded by President Gloria Macapa­gal Arroyo during the Philippine Business Conference (PBC) in Manila. “All these prove that Cebu is indeed very enterprising in nature. We all move as one and attract many new investors to our fold. Our twin thrusts consisting of tourism and Information Technology have widened considerably,” he continued.

Monera himself was recently promot­ed to president and CEO of Cebu Hold­ings Inc., most probably as an offshoot of the CCCI’s glowing landmarks.

2007 targets
For this year, Monera said the cham­ber will work for a more stable business climate advocacy. This will entail the sys­tematization of activities for advocacy, the pursuit of advocacy committees, and the completion of the Cebu Ecozone Study and its implementation.

Another field is business leadership. This involves the creation of sectoral business associations, the establishment of brand architecture for CCCI, internal organizational improvements, and the de­velopment of entrepreneurship advice and consultancy services.

Third is web portal development and maintenance. Monera said this will re­quire the pursuit of continuous improve­ment of web portal features, content, and services; marketing and promotional ef­forts of wider web portal utilization of the chamber’s members; and the formu­lation of a sustainability program for the web portal.

Envisioned to be the “engine for Ce­bu’s growth” the CCCI is committed to strengthen the capabilities of its members, through synergy, linkages, and advocacy for the betterment of the Cebu business community.

The Cebu Chamber presently has over 900 members in its fold composed of single proprietors, partnerships, and SEC-registered companies including sectoral associations.

Back to Top

Good news for people with poor vision who wish to perma­nently end their dependence on eyeglasses or contact lenses—safely, quickly and painlessly.

St. Luke’s Medical Center recently ac­quired the latest Carl Zeiss Meditec Excimer Laser (MEL-80), making it the newest addi­tion to the long list of state-of-the-art tech­nologies available at St. Luke’s International Eye Institute-Vision Laser Center.

The MEL-80 Laser is designed to make the correction of vision defects exception­ally effective and patient-friendly. It is a step ahead of other currently available excimer lasers, with superior characteristics that make it extremely advanced. Because of the MEL-80’s speed, the amount of time the cornea is exposed is reduced and the overall treat­ment procedure is significantly shortened. Additionally, the laser is able to preserve the natural curvature of the cornea ultimately improving the quality of vision.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the MEL-80 for vision correction sur­gery. The FDA approval was based on impressive results of clinical studies in­volving patients who underwent laser eye surgery using the MEL-80 Laser. The studies showed that 93 percent of patients who underwent laser eye surgery using MEL-80 were corrected at three months to 20/20 or better visual acu­ity while 41 percent were corrected to 20/12.5 or better at six months. Eighty-five percent of patients achieved within one-half of a diopter (optical power mea­surement) of the intended correction at three months post-operative follow-up.

How refractive surgery works
The shape of a person’s eye determines how well his or her vision can focus. Light rays enter the eye through the clear cor­nea, then through the pupil and the lens. In a normal eye, the light rays are focused onto the retina, a light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. Signals from the retina are sent through the optic nerve to the brain, where they are interpreted as the images we see.

When the curvature of the eye does not match the length of the eye and light rays cannot focus properly on the retina, a refractive error occurs. There are four types of refractive error: myopia (near­sightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (irregular shaped cornea), and presbyopia (age-related loss of close-up focusing ability).

Refractive surgery involves procedures that correct refractive errors by changing the focus of the eye either by altering the shape of the eye’s front surface or adding a perma­nent lens to improve focus. These surgical procedures are designed to eliminate or re­duce the need for glasses or contact lenses.

LASIK (Laser In Situ Keratomileu­sis) is currently the most popular proce­dure for correcting refractive errors. After numbing drops are applied to the patient’s eye, a microkeratome creates a thin flap in the cornea. The excimer laser then sculpts the underlying cornea into a new shape to correct the refractive error. The average laser treatment time is 30 seconds.

The flap is then repositioned and ad­heres on its own without sutures after only a few minutes. Eye drops and/or ointment are placed in the eye to facilitate the heal­ing process. There is no surface scraping done and discomfort is almost absent. Vi­sion recovery is rapid. There is little or no post-operative pain. Most patients are able to resume their daily activities the day fol­lowing surgery.

Get 20/20 vision at 20 percent discount
St. Luke’s Vision Laser Center is of­fering a 20 percent discount on the regular Mel 80 Excimer Laser Surgery package cost (inclusive of professional fees) for suitable candidates until Jan. 31.

Highest quality patient care
St. Luke’s International Eye Institute-Vision Laser Center is the country’s most technologically-advanced refractive eye center. It is the only refractive eye center in the Philippines accredited by the pres­tigious Joint Commission International (JCI), which guarantees the highest qual­ity of patient care and safety. For more information, call St. Luke’s International Eye Institute-Vision Laser Center at (+632) 722-2965 or log on to www.2020.stluke.com.ph or e-mail info@stluke.com.ph.

Back to Top

Ayala Named Best
Managed Company in RP

PRESIDENT GLORIA Macapagal-Arroyo recently congratulated Microsoft on the opening of its Southern Regional Office in Cebu and for expanding its business in the Visayas and Mindanao region. She also cited the company’s efforts to help Filipinos achieve their full potential through its products, services and various community programs.

President Arroyo leading the ribbon cutting ceremony during the inauguration of the Microsoft Southern Philippines Office at the Skyrise I.T. Building in Asia Town IT Park in Lahug, Cebu City. With her are (left to right) TJ Javier, Managing Director, Microsoft Philippines; Rep. Raul del Mar, First District, Cebu City; Tourism Secretary Ace Durano; Rep. Antonio Cuenco, Second District, Cebu City; and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

The President a also witnessed a demonstration of the latest products from Microsoft, Windows Vista and the Office 2007 during the tour of the new office. She also made a live VOIP phone call using a Windows Mobile phone, which is part of the announced “One Follow Me” initiative. Through One Follow Me, OFWs can use these phones anywhere in the world, and tap the technology to make low cost calls.

“Thank you for the expansion of Microsoft not only geographically to Cebu, but also the expansion of your products – your service for OFWs and the half-priced Starter set,” said the president. “This is bringing high-tech into the grassroots, to the schools,” she added. During the event, Microsoft Managing Director TJ Javier also announced the launch of the Microsoft Windows Starter Edition designed for first-time PC users and costing only half the price of the regular Windows Operating System.

According to Magtanggol Bawal, Sales Operations Director for Microsoft Southern Philippines, Cebu was chosen to be Microsoft’s headquarters in the south due to its competitive climate and vibrant business activities. Cebu is also geared to become the next information technology hub in the country “The Cebu office will enable Microsoft to respond efficiently to the concerns of the local market and at the same time address the needs of underserved communities. Technology has the power to improve lives and empower individuals to be better and more productive Filipinos,” Bawal further stated.

Other VIPs present during the inauguration of the office were Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Representatives Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco from the first and second Districts of Cebu City, respectively, and Mayor Arturo Radaza of Lapu-Lapu City. The office is located at the seventh floor of the Skyrise IT Building at the Asia Town IT Park in Lahug, Cebu City.

Back to Top

Forthe fifth consecutive year, The Richmonde Hotel has been granted the Outstanding Award by the Department of Energy (DOE) for achieving 8.6 percent energy savings or 129,997 liters of oil equiva­lent last year.

The DOE honors the exceptional con­tributions of business establishments in energy conservation with its Don Emilio Abello Energy Efficiency Awards (DE­AEEA).

Spearheaded by Richmonde Hotel’s Chief Engineer Rogelio D. Lampa, the successful implementation of various in­novative energy efficiency and conserva­tion measures last year resulted in the sig­nificant reduction of the hotel’s electrical consumption and operational expenses.

Present at the awarding ceremony were DOE Energy Utilization Management Bu­reau Director Mario Marasigna, DOE Sec­retary Raphael P.M. Lotilla, Richmonde Managing Director Carmen Francisco, Richmonde Chief Engineer Rogelio Lam­pa and other officials.

Back to Top

Bench launched its latest undertaking at an impressive multimedia affair, attended by Manila’s most beautiful and influential people, at the Ayala Museum last Jan. 15. Beneficiary to this Corporate Social Responsibility project of Bench is the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation headed by Margarita L. Delgado and Lizzie Zobel. “Wear Your Conscience” is a book of photographs shot by renowned photographer Jun de Leon and edited by Philip Cu-Unjieng and Raul Manzano, featuring an extraordinary showcase of personalities and celebrities who all willingly gave their time to assist Ben Chan in making the subtle but potent call to recognize and initiate good deeds and works. In the book, the photo subjects all gamely dressed in stylish Bench wear while posed either on or around the sleek, white “Wear Your Conscience” bench.

Raul Manzano, Ben Chan, Jun De Leon, Lizzie Zobel, Margarita Delgado and Philip Cu-Unjieng

The book is a gentle reminder of how in today’s world of heady financial and commercial success, and oftentimes, conspicuous consumption, there is always room for Conscience and Social Responsibility. That in fact, it is precisely through selfless acts and genuine social concern, that one best gives thanks for whatever fortune one has enjoyed in one’s life.

A special clothing line that exhorts everyone to “Wear Your Conscience”, along with your heart, on your proverbial sleeve, is now available at all Bench stores. A portion of the sales of this line, and proceeds Bench Bares Its Consciencefrom book sales, will help further Bench’s commitment to help Sa Aklat Sisikat. When asked by What’s On & Expat, Bench top man Mr. Ben Chan himself shares: “I believe in the project. Without children knowing the importance of reading, we won’t have a future. Our greatest assets are our workers and recently we’ve been losing a lot to other countries because of our worsening proficiency in English. I’m glad we’re getting back at it.”

Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation (SAS) is a non-profit professional Philippine organization that promotes the love and habit of reading in Filipino children. Their vision is to build a nation of readers by working with public schools all over the country, providing the resources for implementing a Reading Program designed to motivate Grade 4 students - many of whom are at risk of dropping out of school before high school - to make reading a part of their daily lives.

Founded in 2001 together with Petron Foundation and cited by UNESCO as “a well thought out and well-funded reading awareness promotion,” by the end of 2005, SAS will have served more than 450 public schools, touching the lives of over 1,800 teachers and the minds of nearly 92,000 students. To help facilitate the transfer of customized school tables for deserving principals and teachers, the Aboitiz Company 2GO has also readily donated transport and moving services.

Back to Top