Koronadal formerly Marbel

Did you know that Koronadal is called Marbel before? And did you know that almost all of those who know it was called Marbel are long time residents?

Koronadal is a city in South Cotabato. It was named as such because it used to be a field of tall grass called koron. Now, it looks more like a field of pineapples.



Koronadal has wide fields of pineapples. These fields are owned or leased by Dole Philippines. And Dole makes the best pineapple products I have tried. They have even ventured into making peaches preserved in syrup.

When we were there, we stayed in an inland resort called the Farm.



The Farm has several function areas for big and small groups.







And aside from their dorms they have a row of villas for more private and relaxed stay.







It is a single bedroom unit with a queen sized bed, toilet and bath and amenities of a hotel in a small bungalow.

I had a relaxed stay in spite of our hectic and sweaty schedule.

You should try it too. :)

Press release - Bicol rehab to complete soon

During one trip I had with the Secretary of Education, I was asked to prepare two press releases about the rehabilitation efforts of DepEd in the Bicol Region. Here is one of them:

DepEd Bicol rehab nears completion

The Department of Education reports a 98 percent actual physical accomplishment in the construction and repair of school buildings under the Bicol Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Efforts (BCARE).

“We have informed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that of all government agencies in Bicol, DepEd is the first among BCARE agencies to complete its rehabilitation targets,” said BCARE Commission Executive Director Dr Anthony Golez during the last inter-agency coordinating meeting last January 17 at Camp Aguinaldo.

BCARE has identified 2,220 school sites where some 771 new classrooms are up for construction and 7,142 are for repairs.

Figures from DepEd's Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division (PFSED) showed that as of January 7, 2008, classroom construction and repair are proceeding at a steady pace with all provinces reaching almost 100-percent completion in the repair and construction of new school buildings.

DepEd is still short of full accomplishment. Specifically, in the case of Maipon Elementary School whose buildings were completely covered by mud, the entire school needs to be relocated to another site. A few other schools are yet to complete construction due to its isolated locations that limit delivery of construction materials. These schools are either located on separate islands or in remote areas no easily accessible to vehicular traffic.

Under BCARE, DepEd has earmarked some P1.2 billion for the construction of new classrooms and repair of damaged ones in Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon.

BCARE is similar to a mini-Marshall plan specifically put up to rehabilitate Bicol after suffering the brunt of the succession of super typhoons in 2006. The effort of the United States to rebuild and strengthen allied countries in Europe after World War II was called the Marshall Plan, named after then Secretary of State George Marshall.

DepEd also constructed 15 typhoon-resistant school buildings in Camarines Sur, Legaspi City, and Albay. Six more buildings of this type are being put up around Bicol with funding from the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Another six will be constructed in Region 4-B MIMAROPA also through UNICEF.

This new type of school building doubles as academic classroom and evacuation center. It is made of concrete and steel and elevated one meter above the ground.

END

Smoke in your face

Filipinos are fond of buying scooters.

Scooters are cheap, easy to maintain, and can get you around even in the heaviest of vehicle traffic.

Scooters first came out with their original "kit" design.

Improvements came through paint colors and paint styles. Then came the stickers and logos and artworks on the motorbikes.

After that, flashy lights were introduced. Lights of different colors and intensities "create" and "image" for the bike.

And then there came sound systems. Boom boxes on wheels playing gangsta and punk via a portable CD player.

To further pimp their ride, custom hoods, seats, and tail pipes came.

There are tailpipes that are as big as those of big bikes. And there are those that are designed to make sound like a high speed Ferrari.

And last, but not the least, tailpipes that are angled upward so that the blast of its exhaust slaps you in the face. And this is annoying.

Why does the Land Transportation Franchising Board (LTFRB) not take notice of this? Can't anyone provide high angle and low angle limits for the tailpipe's tilt?

When scooters blast exhaust of my face, I really get irritated. How I wish I can break that tailpipe into two to teach the rider a lesson about being considerate.

Alien engineering part 3

Third installment of the video on alien engineering discussion effects of inertia and a spacecraft's maneuverability.

Credit goes to Danni4815162342



It is heart-stopping.