Thursday, January 4, 2018

NTC, telcos and amateur and civic radio groups offer “Libreng Text at Tawag” assistance to Marawi City evacuees



In line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration last 17 October 2017 that Marawi City has been liberated from terrorist influence and DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s announcement last 23 October 2017 that combat operation in the City had been terminated, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued Office Order 179-10-2017 last 30 October 2017 instructing its Regional Office in Cagayan de Oro City, headed by its director, Engr. Teodoro Buenavista, Jr.,  to offer “Libreng Text at Tawag” services in evacuation centers for a period of seven (7) calendar days starting 31 October 2017.

The “Libreng Text at Tawag” services were located in five (5) evacuation centers in Iligan City:  Kanaway Evacuation Center, Tibanga; Sta. Elena Gymnasium, Sta. Elena; Buru-un School of Fisheries, Buru-un; Buru-un Gymnasium, Buru-un; and Maria Cristina Gym, Maria Cristina. In Cagayan de Oro City, the “Libreng Text at Tawag” services was offered in the Indahag Evacuation Center.
With the service, displaced families were able to inform their relatives, both here and abroad, of any further assistance needed.  The evacuees were also able to inform their loved ones of their safety and plans regarding their eventual return to Marawi City.  Reports say that more than 300,000 people were displaced by the conflict.
The “Libreng Text at Tawag” service included free NDD and overseas calls and was expanded to include other evacuation centers after its first week.  The NTC’s effort was implemented in cooperation with Globe, Smart and various amateur and civic radio groups, namely, Race9, ACTS Radio Club and KABALIKAT.
Here are some of the photos :)







Photo Credit: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

Friday, September 16, 2011

KAMIKAZEE rocks MSU MARAWI

The famous Kamikazee Band will have a concert tomorrow, September 17, 2011, 6:00 o'clock in the evening at the Dimaporo Gymnasium, Mindanao State University, Marawi City. This is organized by MSU in coordination with the Office of the Provincial Governor as part of its Golden Jubilee celebration


Kamikazee, is one of the most explosive pop-rock band in the Philippines. KAMIKAZEEis made up of 5 members. Jay Contreraswas the Lead Vocalist while doing his own maneuvers, Jomal Linaowas the second vocalist and on Guitars, Led Zeppelin Tuyay on Guitars also, Jason "Puto" Astete with the Bass and Allan "Bords" Burdeos with the drums. They were bonded with same interest and fun for music in the University of the Philippines- Diliman at the College of Fine Arts. They usually idolized bands like Parokya Ni EdgarCheese, and The Eraserheads etc. (http://www.filipinomusica.com/kamikazee.html)

Photo Credit: Kamikazee
Ticket prices include Php 100, Php 250 and Php 500. 

Featuring Hillpoint, Kampilan, Stalwarts (65th Infantry Battalion) and Victorious Merch among others.

What are you waiting for? Get a chance to jam with your favorite pop rock band!!!

It will surely be a night of great rock music.

Enjoy and God bless!!!



Thursday, September 15, 2011

One Chance: One Great Philippine Festival to Visit


Blessed with 7,107 islandsPhilippines is truly a convergence of various cultures. People from different regions have their own ways of celebrating gratitude for great harvest and abundant blessings. These celebrations have been called festivals to give honor to their Patron Saint for the fruitful interventions.

This coming October, three festivals await everyone to grace: Hermosa Festival in ZAMBOANGALanzones Festival in CAMIGUIN and MassKara Festival in BACOLOD. I have never been into these places and have always wanted to visit these during festivals. If given a chance to witness one, I would choose Hermosa Festival in ZAMBOANGA.  


Why do I want to experience and join Hermosa Festival?

First, I want to explore Hermosa Festival. Of the three celebrations, Hermosa Festival seemed new to me. This got me excited to learn more of the festivity by joining it. I would love to see myself dancing together with the participants so happy and grateful. More so, with the thrills of regatta where every sailor gives all his strength to perform well during the race. How exciting it is to take a ride and be amazed with the colorful vintas and the aura of determination among contestants to win the competition.


Second, I want to probe the southern part of Mindanao by starting to learn the culture in Zamboanga. One day immersion or two would help me appreciate the way people live, what are their favorite foods as well as their practices of the tradition and norms. It would be a great experience for me to tour the city with so much gladness.


Lastly, I want to promote Zamboanga and the whole of Mindanao as great tourist destinations. I want to share the good news to everyone that Mindanao is a safe place to visit. With the experience I will have this October, I will be even prouder to encourage our fellows as well as foreigners to visit Zamboanga without mental reservations.

Indeed, Philippines is a land of festivals. Joining one celebration at a time is what I would love to fulfill. 

"Experience MassKara FestivalHermosa Festival and Lanzones Festival this October. Airphil Express flies daily to BACOLOD, ZAMBOANGA and CAGAYAN DE ORO from Cebu and Manila. Visit www.airphilexpress.com to book!

Photo Credits:
Google Images: Hermosa Festival in Zamboanga


Thank you so much. God bless :-)

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Going Beyond Borders | Singapore


Graduate Education is a learning experience with a higher level of qualifications and expectations. It is undertaken by eager individuals to broaden their knowledge on their field of specialization. The Master in Business Management program of Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) aims primarily to produce competent human resources needed in the management of private and public sector organizations and cooperatives and in the development of new enterprises. One of its thrusts is to expose students to the actual world of business locally and internationally.
On July 14, 2011, 9 MBM students together with Prof. Milagros Narido, MBM Coordinator, Dr. Alita Roxas, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Ms. Merlyn Salimbangon, staff of the Marketing Department, ventured into an educational tour with the main objective of learning business operations, cross-cultural differences as well as new perspectives in business and life in general.
At 10 o’clock in the morning, they visited the country’s regulator of the capital market – the Philippine Stock Exchange located at Ayala Triangle, Ayala Avenue, Makati City. It has another trading floor located at Pasig City which will eventually be closed to minimize costs and have a centralized monitoring of the stock market. 
The group was accommodated by Ms. Mary Jane dela Rosa, a staff of the PSE’s market education department. She happily welcomed everyone and made an initial lecture on the history of PSE as well as refreshing the terms: stocks, stock market and stock exchange. She then led the team to the conference room overlooking the trading floor. Each cubicle is rented by a brokerage firm responsible for facilitating trading of a company’s stocks to various clients. Most of them are old to reflect credibility but there’s also the youngest broker whose age is 20.
The lecture included the benefits of investing in stocks by emphasizing the great returns one can have. As said, the higher the risk, the bigger the gain. To offset this risk, one can actually choose “blue chips” stocks or safe stocks offered by giant companies such as San Miguel Corporation. All publicly listed companies are required to submit a written report of the company’s status a couple of hours after each board meeting concerning the stock market. Violation of this requirement suggests sanctions including withdrawal from the roster of companies allowed to continue trading publicly. She also explained the significance of the colors on the wide screen as well as the names of the companies reflected in it. 

 The ringing of the bell will be made at the beginning and end of the trading session at 9:30AM and 12:00 noon, respectively.
The Trading Platform
 The group thanked Ms. MJ for a fun-filled and inspiring discussion. Then the group went to Ninoy Aquino International Airport to prepare for the 4:55pm flight to the next destination.
At 9:00 o’clock in the evening, the group arrived at Changi International Airport, Singapore which is considered to be one of the world’s best international airports. They were welcomed by Mr. Bernie Mantos, the President of the MSU-IIT Alumni in Singapore.
The next day, the group prepared to visit Mycofarm - the largest producer of mushroom in Singapore as well as Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd. – with their Tiger Beer as Singapore’s first locally brewed beer.
On their way to Mycofarm was a bit challenging. As strangers of the said country without a travel agent to guide them, the group “probed” by referring to a map, asking bus drivers and reading the guideposts in each station. Thank God, a Singaporean freely offered a suggestion what route are they going to take. It was such a relief because Seletar West Farmway 5 can be reached by riding two different buses, and a walk is needed to find that far flung area. Everyone was so glad to reach the entrance of Mycofarm, (sighs…hehe)
 The participants were welcomed by the general manager of Mycofarm and were further introduced to Mr. Johnny Lim, the production and marketing manager. After a brief introduction, they went to the “plant” where mushrooms are grown. The “plant” includes a number of air-conditioned buildings to facilitate proper nurture of mushrooms. The group was amazed with the sophisticated way of cultivating mushrooms and accordingly, it’s very expensive and only Singapore in Southeast Asia invests into such kind of technology. The team tried to taste the “raw” mushroom and some of them grinned…hehe. The most exciting part was the cooking demonstration where Johnny did the effort. Ma’am Narido and Ma’am Roxas also volunteered and enjoyed the activity. Then, the group enjoyed eating the dish with satisfaction and delight. It served as their lunch because it was already past 12:00 noon. After taking of photos, everyone thanked Johnny and the general manager for the accommodation. The group bade goodbye at 1:30pm.  
A glance inside the air-conditioned buildings
The next visit was at the Acia Pacific Breweries Ltd. located at Alexandra Point, an extreme opposite of Seletar. The team decided to take some snacks before proceeding toAPB. They were welcomed by the company’s tour guide to its showroom and production facilities.
visitor-centre.jpg
They name it as the “Brewery Tour” where everyone gets the chance to learn the history of the company through multimedia presentations. A journey to the brewing and packaging facility followed where one can smell the beer, hear the sound of the machines operating and the colorful lights in the Tiger Tavern – a bar type lounge in which the visitors can enjoy the various types of beer. Mind you, it’s bottomless. If you love beer, this is the perfect place for you to plunge in. The group tasted some of these like the Heineken, Anchor Smooth, ABC Extra Stout, Baron’s, the Guinness and the original Tiger beer. It was a simple "trial" moment but the beer showed its effect when 2 of the ladies Ms. Leah and Ms. Nenenplayed billiards with some men there. Everyone cheered and the winners of course are from the visiting team! Kudos! Wew!!!
Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd is one of the major players in the beer industry. It has its branches in more than 10 countries. The manufacturing plant in Singapore can produce 40,000 bottles of beer everyday. The most popular beer product is the Tiger Beer with a high market share in Singapore, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Cambodia among others.
The group left the place at almost 6 o’clock in the evening. Thank God, the company visit has ended. The group explored further Singapore by visiting its tourist attractions. They visited the Merlion, the symbolic statue of Singapore, Universal StudiosSentosaBugis Street,ExpoMarina Bay Sands, Esplanade and a lot more. They enjoyed riding a cable car, sightseeing at the Marina Towers, conquering their fears at the Galactica – the biggest roller coaster in the region, and the creative Revenge of the Mummy ride; being surprised with a relatively small “dragon” ride, witnessing a Hollywood live shooting at theWaterworld, and walking, walking, and walking where everyone got tired and would have wanted to sit along the streets, streets, streets.hahahaha…
 The educational tour ended on Monday, July 18, 2011.  It was a long journey of fun, learning and appreciation on the new perspectives about business and life in general. Singapore is a showcase of discipline, cleanliness, continuous development, great tourism and a foundation of great hopes for our country. Their people, their culture and aspirations are really amazing. Their love for their environment is equally impressive that anywhere you can find trees despite the tall buildings and the like. Their mode of transportation is highly convenient especially so that the MRT has a way to interconnect the various routes consisting of theNorth South Line (Red), East West Line (Green), North East Line (Purple), and theCircle Line (Yellow). These lead to different locations at your convenience. The government really has invested in its infrastructures, tourism and even people where every citizen there has a ready job.
Singapore is indeed a good example of where our country may be heading. It may take time but small steps are advised. A point of comparison has no room for debate considering various factors but seeing how Singapore started and grown is a great way to emulate.
The group would like to thank Mr. Bernie Mantos for his willingness to help the organizer coordinate with the companies to visit and even for the accommodation. Thank you Sir for doing the booking. More thanks to Prof. Milagros Narido and Dr. Alita Roxas for the patience, understanding and support. To the managers and other personnel who warmly welcomed the team for the company visit. To the alumni of MSU-IIT who met the group and spent a couple of hours for bonding. To their kababayans who find time to mingle with them. To the tourism of Singapore, thank you for the free map that served as their guide wherever they go. To those who joined the tour for the trust and confidence that it will be successful. And to those who in one way or the other has contributed to the success of the undertaking. And most importantly, to the Almighty Father who has been their ultimate protector and giver. Thank you so much.
There has been moments of mistakes and re-routes during the entire tour but it made the venture really educational in the truest sense of the word. The group has indeed learned in terms of enhancing self-confidence, appreciating cross-cultural differences and relating the theories to the actual world of business.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. God bless…

Photo Credits:

Jerame Beneros
Marjorie Filoteo
Asia Pacific Breweries
Mycofarm
MSU-IIT

Thanks :-)

Tinago Falls Escapade | Iligan City


Iligan is the home of 23 majestic waterfalls, a blessing that makes it to be called as the city of waterfalls. One of the highly visited waterfalls is the enchanting Tinago Falls. “Tinago”is a Filipino term which means hidden. It is suggestive of where it is located and how it can be reached.

The Enchanting Beauty of Tinago Falls

Going to Tinago Falls is quite a challenging experience especially for first-time goers. You need to hurdle approximately 423 steps to reach the bottom. However, you can set a pace that you are comfortable with by taking a rest before you continue to the next lower levels of the stairs.
You can also enjoy the sound of rushing water so pleasing to the ears. You will be excited to move further until you reach the bottom. There and then, your strength will be rejuvenated with the cold water touching your skin like that of a spray. You will be fascinated with its cascading waters from a 190 ft. rock as well as the lush environment. 
With its beauty so unique and fascinating, movie producers got attracted to include it as one of the settings of ABS-CBN’s Forever and A Day featuring Sam Milby and KC Concepcion. Both of them and the crew were amazed with the enchantment Tinago Falls brings.


 Good Location for Swimming:

The basin-like pool formed from the waterfalls is a good location for swimmers. With its immeasurable depth, life vests are available for rent worth Php 20.00. It’s a basic requirement to all those who would love to take a plunge in the lagoon. 


The bamboo raft entices a group of individuals to take a ride on it with a Php 5.00 charge to each person. To savor the experience, everyone should cooperate to reach the little cave just below the cascading waterfalls. It will be a great source of fun after accomplishing the challenge. A 2-3 minute stay in the cave is enough before you run out of breath. Haha.
For adventurous individuals, swimming towards the cave is a much exciting experience. Without bragging, I always do it whenever I got a chance to dive into the Tinago lagoon :D. Quite pleasing it is on my part to reach the little cave with much exhaustion. Haha.


There are also areas to climb and then dive. It’s very challenging because there is no harness but it’s still manageable if you really want to. I tried it and wow!!! Jumping from a 160 ft. tall rock is exhilarating. As a precaution, untie the vest because it will cause harm due to the impact of plunging into the water. Also, one needs to be careful as the eardrum may be affected because of the water pressure considering its depth.


 From the city proper, take a Buru-un route jeepney. Ask the jeepney driver to drop you at the Buruun Market  (talipapa). Minimum fare is P12.00. 
 From there, take a motorcycle and ask the driver to take you to Tinago Falls. Minimum fare is P10.00-15.00
If by cab: From the city proper, minimum fare is P150-200.

Admission: P10.00/person 
Contacts: Call the City Tourism Office to provide you a tour guide. Tel No: (063)221-3426


Information Credit: Iligan City Tourism Office

 
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