by magnolia_eic | Jun 10, 2010 | Headlines, National News
President Arroyo’s attendance today, June 9, 2010, at the World Expo 2010 will sum up her success in diplomatic and trade missions undertaken during her nine-year presidency, Malacañang said Tuesday.
In her last foreign trip before she hands over the leadership to the next President on June 30, Mrs. Arroyo will grace the opening of the Philippine Pavilion in the Shanghai Expo in China, considered the largest international trade and technology festival in the world.
The opening of the country’s pavilion coincides with the celebration this month of the 35th Philippines-China Diplomatic Ties and 9th Philippines- China Friendship Day.
The Philippine Pavilion was designed to emphasize the theme “Performing Cities,” and showcases the artistic skills and traditions, as well as the economic indicators of urban life in the world, said Philippine Consul-General in Shanghai Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez.
With a theme “Better City, Better Life,” the Shanghai Expo emphasizes the opportunity to explore city life as a crucible for social improvement.
The Expo, participated in by 194 countries, runs from May 1 to October 31, 2010. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jun 10, 2010 | Headlines, National News
THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has raised the alert level at Taal volcano from 1 to 2 due to the increasing frequency of volcanic earthquakes in the area.
Experts raised the second of a five-level alert on Taal Tuesday. The Phivolcs said volcanic quakes in the area have been occurring since April and the crater lake was heating up.
Allan Loza, officer-in-charge of Phivolcs Talisay said based on their monitoring, the volcanic earthquakes detected per day since April 26 have raised to 32 high frequency volcanic earthquakes and continuously increasing as of presstime.
Subsequently, the Phivolcs immediately released an advisory preventing the public to visit the crater area of Taal, specifically the Daang Kastila trail.
In addition, a low frequency type volcanic earthquake was also detected since June 2.
Taal, located 65 kilometers south of Manila, is one of the most unstable of the country’s 22 known active volcanoes with 33 recorded eruptions, the last one in 1977. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jun 8, 2010 | Headlines, National News
PUTTING UP palliative but sustainable solution to inefficient community garbage disposal, environment authorities here call on concerned individuals to join hands and plant mangroves.
Coming in as a major part in the activities drafted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the month-long observance of the Environment Month in June, mangrove planting teams from the DENR Penro and Cenro offices get to Tagbilaran, Dauis, Panglao on June 10 and in Clarin town on June 21 to do their share of mitigating the effects of humanity to the environment.
Aside from mangroves stopping soil erosion and spawning areas for a myriad of marine resources, mangrove ecosystems are also efficient sieves that screen off garbage and stop them from going out to pollute our seas, explains PENRO Canda, who is also an excellent forester.
Mangroves also protect coastal communities from erosion, storm surges and even tsunamis as the mangrove root system is excellent in dissipating wave energy, according to wikepedia.
Mangroves slow down tidal water enough that its sediment is deposited as the tide comes in, leaving all except fine particles when the tide ebbs, building their own environment, it continued.
by magnolia_eic | Jun 8, 2010 | Headlines, National News
WHILE some kids from the private schools trooped for the first day classes today, parents are also told to make sure the kids have enough protection from the rains as the weather bureau has officially declared the onset of the rainy season.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) at least five of their weather stations have recorder some 25 millimeters of rain in the past consecutive five days to officially push them to officially declare the rainy season.
PAG-ASA Administrator Prisco Nilo was quoted as saying that the 25 mm rains recorded in at least 5 weather stations across the country and the presence of the northwest monsoon or hanging habagat has been the main criteria to determine the onset of the rainy season.
With this, rains would be usually felt all over the country until September, when the season ends.
There are monsoon breaks however, Nilo said as he explained that there would be times without rain.
For the school kids however, there should be some provisions for the rain which may include raincoats, umbrellas, boots and extra pair of shirts. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Jun 7, 2010 | Announcements, Headlines, Weather Coverage
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Sunday said that the rainy season of 2010 has started in the Philippines due to several factors that brought rain in past days.
“The development of a series of low pressure systems, also known as heat lows, in the southern part of mainland Asia that linked with the low pressure area near Northern Luzon has generated and sustained the southwesterly winds in the country which brought rains for several days especially in the western section of the country,” PAGASA said in a statement posted on its website.
This development signals the onset of the rainy season on the first week of June in areas under Type 1 climate, which covers the western parts of Luzon and Visayas.
The rainy season, which is associated with the southwest monsoon, is expected to last until end of September.
However, PAGASA said monsoon breaks or periods of no rain for a few weeks are expected during the season.
Residents in low-lying areas are advised to watch out for above-normal rainfall due to the La Niña phenomenon in the third quarter. (PIA-Bohol)
