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7
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October 21 - 27, 2007 |
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Environment Bit
Apo Reef Set to Reclaim Old Glory
Apo’s reef fishes can finally breathe easier now that a
new resolution has been passed. Starting October 2, all
extractive activities such as fishing, collection and
harvesting of any life form will be completely banned
within the park.
Ordinance No. 01 passed by Apo Reef’s Protected Area
Managemant Board declares
the whole of Apo Reef a “no-take zone” to allow the reef
and its residents ample time to recover from years of
fishing.
Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP) is situated 15 nautical
miles west off the Philippine municipality of Sablayan,
Occidental Mindoro. It is a major component of the
earth’s coral triangle.
Just over 30 years ago, Apo Reef was one of the world’s
premier diving destinations. Godofreido Mintu, Mayor of
Sablayan recalls, “It truly was the jewel of Mindoro.”
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Compiled by
Anna Kristine Valenzuela |
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Illustrations
by Carlo Cabrera |
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Science Bit
Fearful Looks Get Brain’s Attention Fast
Smiles may take a while, but a horrified
expression is a sure-fire attention getter, US
researchers said, based on a study of how fast
people process facial expressions. They believe
fearful facial expressions make a beeline to the
alarm censor of the brain known as the amygdala,
cueing humans to potential threats.
“We think what is happening with fear is that
this is a critical threat signal for us,” said
David Zald, associate professor of psychology at
Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. “Fear tells
you something is wrong and you need to pay
attention,” he added.
The researchers had people look into a special
viewer that allowed each eye to see
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culture phenomenon in
its two-year existence. The tools also give the owners
of copyrighted video the option to sell ads around their
material if they want the clips to remain available on
YouTube.
YouTube’s previous lack of copyright protections for
video content prompted Viacom Inc. to sue it for USD1
billion for showing thousands of clips that the New
York-based company owned.
Entertainment Bit
Eric Clapton Writes about Rock Survival
Back in the 1960s when London graffiti proclaimed
“Clapton is God,” the brilliant British guitarist was
descending into a personal hell. Eric Clapton traded a
heroin addiction for alcoholism, suffered disastrous
love affairs, contemplated suicide while armed with a
bottle of vodka, a gram of blow and a shotgun.
The guitar deity has long since surrendered to a higher
power. At 62,
 Clapton
has 20 years of sobriety, a happy marriage and three
young daughters. It’s a good time to consider an
extraordinary life, as the rock Hall of Famer does with
“Clapton: The Autobiography.”
The musings, squirreled away in an attic for years,
brought back painful memories. Clapton recalled that
most of his writing came with a pen in one hand and a
drink in the other.
Foreign Affairs Bit
High Level Australian Parliament in
the Philippines
As part of a growing series of political-level exchanges
between Australia and the Philippines, a senior
Australian Parliamentary delegation recently visited the
Philippines.
The delegation, led by Senate President the Hon Alan
Ferguson, also included senators Sandy Macdonald and
Linda Kirk, as well as Harry Jenkins MP of the House of
Representatives. The Philippine Senate hosted the visit
and the delegation had fruitful discussions with Senate
President Manny Villar and Speaker of the House of
Representatives Jose de Venecia.
Senate President Ferguson said that “this visit is
mainly about continuing the upsurge in political
contacts between our two countries. The bilateral
relationship between Australia and the Philippines is
growing from strength to strength. We have a AUSD100
million aid program which continues to expand, as well
as close defence and security ties. President Arroyo
visited Australia twice this year and Filipino migrants
continue to make a strong contribution to the Australian
way of life. We’re also very hopeful of expanding the
number of Filipino students who choose to study in
Australia”. |
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Local Eye |
for the |
Foreign Guy |
Dive into Divi
By Lex
Ledesma
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There is no stopping Christmas now. If
this is your first Christmas in the
Philippines, you are in for a big
surprise. We Pinoys take this Christmas
business very, very seriously. Things
are about to drastically change. The
streets are going to get so full that
you might want to pull your hair out.
Christmas carols will be the norm in any
public venue. And shopping will become a
necessity.
I have been to three malls during the weekend and
everyone seems to have some kind of
pre-Christmas sale. I should actually
schedule my own Christmas shopping
spree. After all, we all know what they
say about early birds. They always catch
the worms, or in this case, the
bargains.
If you’re looking for a good deal, the one place you
need to go to is Divisoria. Here you
will find chaos theory in action. The
reward for all the bedlam, however, is
good prices. Every Juan dela Cruz knows
about this place regardless of whether
they have actually been to Divisoria or
not. At 7am, Divi, as it is fondly
called, is already buzzing with all
kinds of commerce. Name it, they have
it. Whether you are looking for raw
materials, gift items, RTW, home
accessories, school supplies…you will
surely find an alley or mall in the area
that has what you want.
The alleys in Divi are an interesting place to start bargain
hunting. Generally, prices are cheaper
compared to those sold in the malls
since these merchants don’t “officially”
pay rent. Juan |
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Luna
is the central street where you can find
ready-to-wear uniforms and shirts.
Somewhere down the road, it splits into
other alleys. One of the paths leads to
Ilaya Street, a sanctuary for textile
lovers. The other way will take you to
Tabora Street, the crafters haven. There
you can find beads, crystals, laces and
ribbons in all possible colors, DIY
souvenir materials like baskets, bottles
and other knick-knacks. For a more
convenient shopping experience, there
are air-conditioned establishments too.
The more famous are the Divisoria Mall,
168, Meisic Mall and Tutuban Shoping
Center.
Just some additional pieces of advice before you dive into
Divi: Always, always exercise your
haggling rights. Buy in bulk to get the
best deals. Bring cash as credit cards
are not accepted. And beware of
pick-pockets. If possible, arrive at
Divi early because come lunch time, the
crowd surges like a tsunami. Lastly, try
to bring a Filipino guide who can haggle
for you because foreign-looking people
are at a serious disadvantage.
Unfortunately, locals tend to always
equate “foreign” to “rich.”
If you have recently married into a Filipino family, better prepare
and review that list and never make the
mortal sin of skipping anybody,
regardless of how far the family link
is. Given the number of people you
probably have to buy stuff for, Divi
might just be the way to go. Happy
shopping! |
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different
images at the same time. “If you present
different images to the two eyes, usually you
will only perceive one of them at a time,” Zald
explained. The image that registers with the
brain typically depends on which eye is dominant
for that person.
Technology Bit
YouTube Unveils Anti-
piracy Filters
Online video leader YouTube recently rolled out
a long-awaited technology to automatically
remove copyrighted clips, hoping to placate
movie and television studios fed up with the
website’s persistent piracy problems.
The filtering tools are designed so the owners
of copyrighted video can block their material
from appearing on YouTube, which has become a
pop
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