Check your cellphones

Mobile phone buyers are advised to check whether it carries the authentic National Telecommunication (NTC) sticker inside the unit otherwise did not pass the required testing and might do them harm if used.

NTC XI director Josue Go issued the warning in a recent media briefing saying the unit has to pass three tests namely on radiation, electrical circuit and signal.

Buyers must also check if it carries a warranty even as he said that a one year warranty period would also indicate that it had undergone testing. It is not enough that the store displays the NTC sticker because the unit must also bear the sticker.

The NTC has intensified their campaign against illegal selling of cellphone and it is in Davao City where they made the first crackdown last January 4, 2008 with officials from the Intellectual Property Rights Office from Manila.

Out of their raid in several stores they were able to confiscate 834 units in Davao City, 120 in Tagum City, 109 in Panabo, 42 units in Mati, 50 in Digos, 3 in Nabunturan, 3 and 12 in Compostela and the crackdown is ongoing.

Buyers are advised not to patronize smuggled units and to always check on the unit's International Mobile Equipment Identification (IMEI). The IMEI will determine that the unit has passed the international processes.

Stores selling smuggled phones once caught will have their license automatically revoked and their stores padlocked.

So why go for units that did not pass legitimate processes. It is better to be careful than be sorry later.

Rice rice rice .....do we have enough?

In Davao there are several fastfoods that offer unlimited rice or "Eat-All-U-Kanon" and this has been a come on to many people especially the young ones.

Rice to Filipinos goes well especially with barbq that is why many of these eateries to name some like Penongs, Mang Inasal, Pards, Banoks give a customer several servings of hot steam rice provided you eat all of them.

A classmate of my daughter Kim could consume 10 cups of cooked rice in one setting. The classmate is a he and I suppose he has a good appetite especially that when you eat in these fastfood store you are given an additional soup for free.

I am just wondering what happens next when some rice traders start to worry about the supply of rice. But the government however allayed this fear saying there is no rice shortage even as Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap earlier urged restaurants and other food outlets to only serve half of the rice order they serve their customers. Yap thought per order is too big for one to consume as many of the customers had some of these rice left on their plate ... sayang.

But Yap in recent pronouncements assured the people that there would be no rice rationing as the National Food Authority is bringing enough supply that would be complemented by the summer harvest season.

There are some quarters however that does not believe on this and doubts the government's earlier pronouncements.

Meanwhile President Arroyo directed the Department of Agriculture to go all-out against rice hoarders to ensure that cheap government rice end up on the tables of the intended consumers - the country's poor. NFA rice is sold at P18 per kilo.

Just like the price of oil that continue to escalate, the price of rice is also increasing as a kilo for a good kind is sold at P27 to P30 compared in the previous month where price ranges between P22 to P24.

Our farm keeper complained to me one Sunday morning about the price of rice that continues to rise and when I ask him what is their consumption I was shocked knowing they consume 10 kilos of rice a week for him, his wife and his daughter. That makes them about a sack of rice in a month.

On the other side of it too much carbo could add to your weight unless you burn them.

But our farm keeper said they need to eat more because of their work in the farm and they need the right energy.

And if we ask the authorities what now with this crisis? As what Yap said that supply would be complemented with the summer harvest we hope the yield is high so the price of rice will get back to where it was.

Filipinos need rice the poor especially as this is their main staple food - kahit walang ulam basta masarap ang kanin solve na (even without viand for as long as the rice is good will be okay) is the comment I heard often especially from the common people as rice will save them on high cost of food like meat, chicken, milk and other food stuff. "Kaya kahit na rice na lang busog na kami," the poor said.

Travel kit

What I like with this kit is its being transparent. It could be the perfect airport carry on for clearing at security counters. Perhaps this is what we want because all of these items that we are used to, have to be with us whereever we are.

It is better to be transparent than these items be disallowed to fly with you to your travel destination or spoil a vacation the moment you step into the airport when you go through a tedious process of inspection of your belongings. Hop in to www.flygirltravelbags.com

The brag

I am amazed with this and women would surely love to have theirs too especially those who travel a lot as this is handy, protective and retains the form of the ladies' fave brassieres. And if men are wondering what are these, this could also be a practical gift to their beloved wives, girl friends or what have you.

Visit this site http://www.bra-g.com/ and it will tell you all about brag as it assures you of no more worries on how to pack these items while traveling.

So worry no more.

Picture Shop

All of us wants to gaze at our photos as these bring good and happy memories but most of the time we lost track of these photographs due to lack of time and enough spaces to preserve all of them. A mother perhaps witnessing her baby's first smile, haircut, walk, dance or entering the big school and after recording all of those where just put aside because she could be doing other tasks. These are treasures that mothers want to hand them down to their kids when they are grown up. With digital cameras and our mobile phones embedded with cameras I could just imagine the many photos that anyone of us can make.

I happen to chance on this site http://www.thepictureshop.com/ and I guess this will answer all. The grand vacation that may not happen again and if it will might take some time must be preserved as it is worth reminiscing time and again.

It helps.

Aquaculture production up in Davao Region

The Davao Region ranked first in the country's aquaculture production hitting a growth rate of 19 percent last year with a record on the volume of production of about 67,000 metric tons last year as against the 55,000 MT in 2006

The growth was attributed to more fish cages established in the different parts of the region where the Island Garden City of Samal has 16 units and Panabo City, 56.

The 19 percent growth rate is much higher than the average figure in other areas of the country which was between 10 percent to 14 percent said an official of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources saying that fish cages will be a continuing project this year where 8 units will be established in Pantukan, Compostela Valley.

Cost per cage is about P350,000 and after five months of operation the operator could get 19 percent ROI (return of investment).

The yield in aquaculture production contributed some 35 percent to the country's total production of the fishery sector.

However efforts must still focus on running after violators of the Fisheries Code of the country. The government had imposed strict implementation of the code and that BFAR is running after violators.

With the concerted efforts carried out by multi sectoral groups illegal activities were considerably reduced.

There are some however who still engage in illegal fishing and these violators must be given a dose of their acts against environmental protection but I think with the consistent reminders of sectoral groups and non government organizations that engaged in environmental protection folks in coastal barangays tend to become more vigilant and bond themselves to protect the waters near them which is also their source of livelihood.

But what the people must do by heart is how and where to throw their garbage. By now the public is expected of their share in protecting and preserving the environment including the sea and waters for the sake of the aquamarine resources. Garbage not disposed properly find its way to the seas and the other municipal waters posing danger to the habitat of our marine resources.

Nightlife, shopping pushed as Davao City come-on

Key players in the tourism industry of Davao are considering the city's healthy nightlife and shopping centers as the destinations that they will push for promoting the city. They thought of this package in order not to compete with the destinations being promoted by its neighbors in the BIMP EAGA region and these activities will purely be wholesome even as tourism players stick to their vision of promoting mainly family entertainment.

There are activities at night in the city that promotes the culture and music referring to the Taboan at Matina Town Square, Jack's Ridge and other organized events in places like The Venue and in several hotels of the city.

The People's Park at night is in itself a destination and it is already included in the package that the travel agencies had designed.

The tour packages that these operators want their visitors to experience would include the malls as a must see destinations as many visitors would love shopping. The packages are redesigned to complement that of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

I think it is high time that tourism leaders rethink of now strategies inorder to improve traffic of visitors here considering that a lot of beautiful sites both in the island and highland that are comparable if not more beautiful than in other parts of the world.

Microsoft looks at Davao as expansion area

The Microsoft Philippines is considering Davao City as an expansion area for its office in the country after IT key players sounded off during the BIMP EAGA IT Summit late last year that they want more multi national companies come to the city.

George Parrilla, marketing manager of Microsoft Southern Philippines said they are considering their coming in to Davao City although he did not give a fix time when to come. "We are considering this and Davao is a major area for Microsoft.

Davao is being catered by a team headed by Parrilla under Southern Philippines. But Microsoft having an office in Davao
client-training on new softwares and other related concerns will be conducted here on a weekly basis.

Although the Southern Philippines team also conducts training for their partners here, this is occasional and has to be organized with several number of participants.In Cebu and Manila, there training is done within their offices where there are designated areas and facilities for this, he said.

Microsoft already does market study for certain areas in Mindanao and they are also looking at other areas for expansion in the future. Among those that they need to consider is the readiness of the market, awareness on Intellectual Property Rights, and availability of infrastructure.

Davao into construction boom !

2008 is projected by business leaders here as a boom in the construction industry as more infrastructure projects are in the pipeline for the next three years.

The construction industry attributed to more projects as it heavily depends on high government spending on infrastructure where projection of money to be poured in is estimated to be between P2 to P3 billion.

The sector however noted the growing individual constructions that are being carried out mostly by overseas Filipino workers in high end residential areas of the city.

They saw also the growth in real estate aside from high end residences to socialized and medium construction of housing units hence the boom of the construction industry is now felt in Davao especially that all big time contractors in Manila are now here.

Among those that already made there presence here with ongoing projects are Robinsons in Bajada, the Ayala Land where it is developing a ten-hectare area along J P Laurel Avenue, the Davao Motor Sales in Lanang, the Consunji Group where it is building two condominium structures along Ecoland, Filinvest Land, Inc. where some seven single medium rise buildings for condominium to be constructed in Ecoland and the Crown Asia Group of Companies that continue to build both medium and high-end residences.

Given the right environment the boom is here and will be there for the next five years depending on the political situation and peace and order. And with the peace agreement hopefully to be realized soon will become an added boost to the industry. If the situation warrant the boom of the industry could even last for the nest 20 years. Who would not want this to happen in our city where more money will be in circulation, a stable economy. and not only that there will be more jobs for the people.

Security conscious

Many building owners of residential and commercial structures considered security system as a component of construction projects.

Jonathan C. Go, vice president for sales and marketing of Faire Technologies, Inc. who joined the 2nd International Building Materials, Interior Products and Construction Equipment and Services Exhibition at SM City Davao said they attributed the increasing demand on security system from the middle market.

In the Philippines this market that comprises mostly of overseas Filipino workers dig for installing the security system in their high-end residences.

Based on their study many people are already aware of the need for this system installed in their area with a basic package to cost nowadays to more or less P22,000 which in the early 90s would run up to P300,000. Costing now is more cost effective. The increasing demand worldwide led many into manufacturing of the product. And with the coming in of several manufacturers the prices tend to bottom up without sacrificing the quality.

Some of these products include among others the DVR-Value Solution that is packed with two or four cameras ideal for home and office security solution, the Biometrics attendance checker. This can stand alone security system even in homes ensuring owners of safety.

Consider this and try to scout for packages that will suit your needs be it at home or in the office.