Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Regional Congress for I.T. Faculty (Region 2)





I am now in Santiago City, Isabela as Guest Speaker in the Regional Congress for I.T. Faculty sponsored by the University of La Salette. The two-day event is scheduled on January 31 - February 1, 2008 and has for its theme, "Industry-Academe Partnership: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice in Information and Communications Technology Education."

I will be giving talks on the following topics:

1. The Role of Local Publications (Journals and Proceedings) in Advancing ICT Research in the Philippines.

2. Research in ICT: Focus on Health and Environment.

3. Promoting Computer Programming Excellence through Participation in National and International Competitions.


Raffy
1/31/08

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Announcement: 1st CSP Best Student Paper Awards

Dear Colleagues:

In honor of the late Dr. Gerry Trinidad, we would like to announce the First Gerry Trinidad-Computing Society of the Philippines Best Student Paper Awards to be held during the 8th Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC 2008) on February 23 - 24, 2008 in the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

There are two categories: Undergraduate and Graduate levels. Those eligible for the awards are student papers (from a list of accepted contributed papers) that will be presented in PCSC 2008. Winners will receive plaques from the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP).

Dr. Caslon Chua, Dean of the College of Computer Studies of De La Salle University, and Over-all Chair of the PCSC 2008 will head the Board of Judges.

For more information, visit the CSP Website: http://www.csp.org.ph, or contact:


Dr. Rafael Saldaña
Chair, Program Committee, PCSC 2008
Mobile: 0928-5043121
Telephones: (02) 426-6125, (02) 7090907
E-mail: raffysaldana@gmail.com
BLOG: http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Pescador Island






Last Monday, January 21, 2008 I went with a group of scuba divers to Pescador Island, a short boat ride from Panagsama Beach in Moalboal, Cebu. Pescador Island is one of the scuba diving sites in Moalboal.
.
"Even though Pescador Island is often referred to as one single dive site; it can be dived a few times before the whole area is explored. It is a small island very close to Moalboal on the West coast of Cebu. The wall starts very shallow and drops fairly steeply to about 40 meters, even deeper in places. Visibility here is usually very good and a variety of beautiful corals are on show. Turtles are also common here along with Frog Fish, Nudibranch and many species of reef fish." ( Source http://www.scubadivephilippines.com/SCUBAtdivepescador.shtml )
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Click on the following links to see more photos and video clips of my recent trip to Pescador Island:
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Related Link:
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Saturday, January 26, 2008

ICT4Health 2008: Call For Participation (Updated, 1/27/08)

NOTE: ICT4Health 2008 will provide registration subsidies to all deserving undergraduate and graduate students. Also, the registration fees of authors of contributed papers may be waived or subsidized. For more information, contact Dr. Rafael Saldana (E-mail: raffysaldana@gmail.com).

-----------------------------------------------------

CALL FOR PAPERS AND PARTICIPATION:

ICT4Health 2008
International Symposium on ICT For Health
(in conjunction with the 4th ONCO-MEDIA meeting in Asia)
February 29 - March 1, 2008
Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
Sponsored by the French Embassy in Manila
Website: http://www.math.admu.edu.ph/ict4health
E-mail: ict4health@gmail.com


BACKGROUND:

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has an important role in healthcare delivery, especially in many developing countries and communities.

The International Symposium on ICT For Health (ICT4Health 2008) aims to provide a forum for research and information exchange among healthcare practitioners, ICT professionals, researchers, faculty, students and various institutions engaged in ICT and Health (academe, government, industry, NGOs, etc.)

ICT4Health 2008 will be held in conjunction with the 4th ONCO-MEDIA Project Meeting in Asia. ONCO-MEDIA (http://www.onco-media.com/) is an international research collaboration on biomedical applications of Grid technology funded by the ICT Asia Regional Program of the French Government.

ICT4Health 2008 also includes a Workshop on Apoptosis/Cancer.

ICT4Health 2008 is being sponsored by the French Embassy in Manila.

TOPICS:

ICT4Health 2008 will include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

· Bioinformatics
· Biomedical Applications of Grid Computing
· Biomedical Imaging
· Computational Methods and Algorithms for Biomedical Applications
· ICT-facilitated Collaboration in Biomedical/Health Research
· ICT in Disease Prevention and Epidemiology
· Improvement of Healthcare Delivery Through ICT
· Information Retrieval/Data Mining for Health Applications
· Medical Databases
· Medical Informatics
· Medical Ontology
· Mobile and Wireless Applications for Health
· Modeling and Simulation in Medicine
· Using ICT in Remote Consultation, Diagnosis and Treatment
· Using ICT to Improve Public Health Systems
· Using ICT to Improve Medical Health Facilities

PAPERS/PRESENTATIONS:

Contributed papers/presentations on the symposium topics are being solicited.
Selected papers will be peer-reviewed and will be published in a special issueof the Philippine Information Technology Journal (PITJ) (provided that the papers are presented in ICT4Health 2008).

Use the ACM paper format (maximum of 4 pages for EXTENDED ABSTRACTS): See the following link for details.http://www.acm.org/sigs/publications/proceedings-templates

Submit Extended Abstracts to Dr. Rafael P. Saldaña ( see contact details below ).

IMPORTANT DATES:

Deadline for Submission of Extended Abstracts: 31 January 2008

Notice of Acceptance: 6 February 2008

Early Bird Registration: 10 February 2008

Symposium: 29 February – 1 March 2008

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Daniel RACOCEANU, Ph.D., Dr. Habil.
IPAL - Image Processing Application Laboratory
French National Research Center – CNRS,
National University of Singapore – NUS,
Institute for Infocomm Research,
A*STARFrance/Singapore
A/Prof at the University of Franche-Comté, France


PROGRAM (Tentative)

Day 1. February 29, 2008 (Friday)
08:00 – 08:30 a.m. Registration
08:30 – 09:00 Opening Session/Welcome Remarks
09:00 – 10:00 Keynote Paper 1
10:00 - 10:30 Coffee Break
10:30 - 11:00 Invited Paper 1
11:00 - 11:30 Invited Paper 2
11:30 - 12:00 Invited Paper 3
12:00 – 01:00 p.m. Lunch Break
01:00 – 01:30 Invited Paper 4
01:30 – 02:00 Invited Paper 5
02:00 – 02:30 Invited Paper 6
02:30 – 03:00 Invited Paper 7
03:00 – 03:15 Coffee Break
03:15 – 03:45 Invited Paper 8
03:45 – 04:15 Invited Paper 9
04:15 – 04:45 Invited Paper 10
04:45 – 05:15 Invited Paper 11

Day 2. March 1, 2008 (Saturday)

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Keynote Paper (Workshop on Apoptosis/Cancer)
10:00 – 10:15 Coffee Break
10:15 – 12:00 Parallel Sessions
12:00 – 01:00 p.m. Lunch Break
01:00 – 03:00 Parallel Sessions
03:00 – 03:30 Closing Session/Distribution of Certificates
03:30 – 05:30 ONCO-MEDIA Business Meeting

REGISTRATION FEES:

1. Foreign Participants: 100 U.S. Dollars ( 70 Euros or 11,500 Japanese Yen)

2. Local Participants:

Early Bird Registration Fee: PhP 2,500 ;
Regular Registration Fee: PhP 3,000
(Php = Philippine Peso)

NOTES:

1) The registration fee includes the following: snacks, lunch, symposium kit, and certificate of participation.

2) The registration fee does not include hotel accommodation and transportation expenses.

3) Check payments should be made payable to: ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY

4) Subsidies (reduced registration fee) will be given to students who will participate in ICT4Health. To apply for subsidy, contact Dr. Rafael Saldaña (see contact details below).

5) All participants must submit a Pre-Registration Form.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Rafael P. Saldaña
Convenor, ICT4Health 2008
c/o Grid and High Performance Computing Group
School of Science and Engineering
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108, PHILIPPINES
and Editor-in-Chief,
Philippine Information Technology Journal
Telephone Numbers: (+63 2) 709090, (+63 2) 4266125
Fax: (+63 2) 4266125
Mobile: +63 928 5043121
E-mails: raffysaldana@gmail.com , ict4health@gmail.com

PCSC 2008: List of Accepted Contributed Papers

8th Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC 2008)
Organized by the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP)
February 23 - 24, 2008
University of the Philippines - Diliman
Telephones: (02) 4266125, (02) 7090907
Mobile: 0928-5043121
E-mail: computingsoc@gmail.com
Website: http://www.csp.org.ph

ANNOUNCEMENT:

After a peer-review process, the following contributed papers are deemed ACCEPTED by the PCSC 2008 Scientific Program Committee for oral presentation in PCSC 2008 and for publication in the Proceedings of the 8th Philippine Computing Science Congress (subject to submission of camera-ready papers and registration payment):

List of ACCEPTED contributed papers:

1. Characteristics and Collection of Information from Heterogeneous Multimedia Sources with User's Parameter for Decision Support. Author: Robert Charles, LORIA Campus Scientifique, France

2. University Class Timetabling Simulation by Discrete Multi-valued Particle Swarm Optimization. Author: Kei Wai Cecilia Hung, Ateneo de Manila University

3. A Pi-Calculus Model of the CD95 Receptor Medicated Pathway of Apoptosis. Author: Jan Michael Yap, University of the Philippines-Diliman

4. Design and Implementation of a Vision-Based Hand Mimicking System. Authors: Joel Ilao, Eugene Angelo Fabian, Ivan Or, Lutherford Sosuan, and Glenn Uy -- De La Salle University

5. Sonar Beamforming Authors: Clement Ong, Bernice Ceara Go, Marc Jason Keng, and John Paul Yao -- De La Salle University

6. Characterization of Hand Glove Data for Letter Sign Language Translations. Authors: Veronica Aguilos, Clinton Jacob Mariano, Erika Bianca Mendoza, John Peter Orense, and Clement Ong -- De La Salle University

7. A Computational Study on Oil Spill Dynamics Using Cellular Automata. Authors: Patricia Ann Lorenzo, Rhena Lelleen Plagata, Paolo Nicolo Santos, William Emmanuel Yu, Rafael Saldaña -- Ateneo de Manila University

8. Improving Spam Detection Using Text Mining and Various Predictive Statistical Classification Methods. Author: Ariel Maguyon, Ateneo de Manila University

9. Serial and Parallel Implementation of Benford's Law for Fraud Detection. Authors: Ma. Daphne Regina Toledo, Jonalyn Valencia, William Emmanuel Yu, and Felix Muga II -- Ateneo de Manila University

10. Towards XML, Template-Based GUI Code Generation for Mobile Applications. Authors: Maria Donna Enriquez, Alfred Timothy Lotho, and Jeffrey Jongko -- Ateneo de Manila University

11. Landslide Dynamics in the Philippines: A Computational Study Using Cellular Automata and the Minimization Algorithm. Authors: Timothy James Yusun and Rafael Saldaña, Ateneo de Manila University

12. Competitive Online Scheduling with Fixed Number of Queues. Authors: Richard Bryann Chua (University of the Philippines -Manila) and Jaime Caro (University of the Philippines- Diliman)

13. Epsilon: Information Security Laboratory using Virtualization Technology. Authors: Alexis Pantola, Miguel Alberto Gomez, and Solomon Wong -- De La Salle University

14. Automated Behavior Analysis of Organisms Using Computer Vision. Authors: Jeremiah Pascual and Vladimir Mariano, University of the Philippines-Los Baños

15. ESP (Expert System for Poisoning): A Clinical Decision Support System for the Diagnosis and Management of Poisoning. Authors: Diana Bandojo, Ma. Jaymee Krisette Gatapia, Reggie Nicolo Santos, Riza Theresa Batista, and Prospero Naval -- University of the Philippines-Diliman; and Alvin Marcelo, University of the Philippines-Manila

16. Hypercube Peer-to-Peer for Resource Location on WiMax. Author: Rhia Trogo, De La Salle Univesity

17. Applying Latent Semantic Analysis to Classifying Relevance of Forum Messages Using Small-Sized Corpora. Authors: Rodolfo Raga (Jose Rizal University) and Raymund Sison (De La Salle University)

18. Identifying At-Risk Novice Java Programmers Through the Analysis of Online Protocols. Authors: Emily Tabanao and Ma. Mercedes Rodrigo, Ateneo de Manila University; and Matthew Jadud, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, USA

19. Extending Shape-based Similarity Measures for 3DModels. Authors: Conrado Ruiz, Jr. and Rafael Cabredo, De La Salle University; Levi Jones Monteverde, Citibank Intl Technology Organization (Singapore); and Huang Zhiyong, Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R),A*(STAR), Singapore

20. Grain Classification and Grading Based on Fourier Descriptor. Authors: Faye Moncada and Vladimir Mariano, Universityof the Philippines-Los Baños

21. An Adaptive Compression Technique. Authors: Jose Ronello Bartolome, Nonoy Go, Nathaniel Aaron, Mary Ann Ngo, and Dan Adrian Nelson Pamparo --De La Salle University

22. Design and Engineering of a Supply Chain Management System for Drug Delivery Applications. Authors: Allan Espinosa, Nathaniel Libatique, and Gregory Tangonan -- Ateneo de Manila University

23. A Multi-Feature Approach to Smoke Detection. Authors: Maria Charmaine Templado and Vladimir Mariano, University of the Philippines-Los Baños

24. Modeling FLASH Participation in CD95-mediated Apoptosis Using Pi-Calculus. Authors: Stephanie Catabul, Elaine Joy Coloma, and Irene Celeste Dare -- University of the Philippines-Diliman

25. Design and Use of an Open Individual and Group Student Model for Learning Object-Oriented Design Using UML. Authors: Miguel Paolo Arellano, Beatriz Tabunar, Reselyn Ann Tan, Enrico Alejandro Tuason, and Merlin Teodosia Suarez -- De La Salle University

26. Using Simulation to Update Poverty Maps. Author: Rigan Ap-apid, De La Salle University

27. Building and Benchmarking a New Beowulf Cluster for Grid Computing and Other Applications. Authors: Allan Espinosa and Rafael Saldaña, Ateneo de Manila University

28. Schutzenberger's Guessing Game on a Kolakoski Finite Subsequence. Authors: Marlo de Guzman, Joseph Pasia, and Henry Adorna -- University of the Philippines-Diliman

29. On Unambigous Nondeterministic Finite Automata and the Strict Tree Property. Authors: Henry Adorna, Nestine Hope Hernandez, and Rex David Lorenzo -- University of the Philippines-Diliman

NOTES:

a. Authors/Presentors of (conditionally) accepted papers are advised to contact Dr. Rafael Saldaña, PCSC2008 Program Chair, E-mail: raffysaldana@gmail.com, Mobile: 0928-5043121, Telephones: (02) 42661215 and(02) 7090907 for further details.

b. The deadline for submission of camera-ready papers is on February 8, 2008.

c. To be accepted for oral presentation and for publication in the Proceedings of the 8th Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC 2008), each paper should be pre-registered (including payment of registration fee for at least one author) on or before February 16, 2008.

From,

Dr. Rafael P. Saldaña
Chair, Program Committee, PCSC 2008
January 26, 2008

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Moalboal, Cebu: Various Images
















Photo Captions: Various images of Moalboal, Cebu. Photos taken by Raffy Saldaña on January 19, 2008.


To view more photos of Moalboal, click on the following link:

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/photos/album/75/Images_of_Moalboal_Cebu



Cheers,


Raffy

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Moalboal (Cebu) Photos: Sunset

Photo Caption: Sunset in Panagsama Bay, Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines. Photo taken by Raffy Saldaña (http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com) on January 19, 2008.

To see more sunset photos in Panagsama Beach, Moalboal, Cebu click on the following link:

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/photos/album/74/Sunset_in_Moalboal_Cebu

Cheers,

Raffy

Trip To Moalboal, Cebu




Last Saturday, January 19, 2008 I went on a trip outside Cebu City. Originally I wanted to explore either Malapascua Island or Bantayan Island in northern Cebu; however, I opted for a shorter trip and I decided to go to Moalboal, Cebu for the first time.

From the the Cebu City South Bus Terminal, I took a Ceres bus around 9:00 a.m. It was a non-airconditioned bus. The bus fare was 50 pesos and the travel time was around two and a half hours.

I arrived in Moalboal before lunch time. I took my lunch in one of the small restaurants near the town plaza. Then I took a tricycle ride to Panagsama beach. The tricycle ride (special ride since I was the only passenger) costs 60 pesos (normally, 10 pesos only per passenger if there are more than 5 passengers).

In Panagsama beach (populated by diving shops, resort inns, restaurants, and souvenir stores) I stayed in a villa-type resort.

I was in Moalboal from Saturday (1/19/08) until Monday (1/21/08). In Panagsama beach, I was able to do short walks, swimming, and snorkeling. I wasn't able to do scuba diving because I forgot to bring my PADI card with me.

Related Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moalboal,_Cebu

http://www.kontikidivers.com.ph/Moalboal.htm

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Sinulog Dance

Photo Caption: A group of dancers performing the Sinulog dance in Cebu City. Photo taken by Raffy Saldaña on January 18, 2008.

Note:

I was in Cebu during the Sinulog week (see related blog entry, http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/01/cebu-sinulog-festival-2008.html); however, I missed the Sinulog Festival highlights. After the CSP Visayas Mindanao Research Conference (see http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/01/program-5th-csp-visayas-mindanao.html), I went to Moalboal, a coastal town about two and a half hours travel (by bus) from Cebu City.

Below is the link to a video clip of the 'Sinulog dance' that I took last January 18, 2008 in Cebu City:

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/video/item/16/Sinulog_Dance

Cheers,

Raffy
1/23/08

Cebu Sinulog Festival 2008




Photo captions: Images of the Cebu Sinulog Festival on display at Mactan-Cebu Airport, January 22, 2008.

"Sinulog is a nine-day religious festival but the main celebrations take place over the third weekend in January with the main parade taking place on the final Sunday of that weekend. It is held in honor of Santo Niño and the atmosphere is electric with whole communities getting involved in the event with the build up to that final weekend. After a solemn procession and church services, Cebu’s streets erupt into a blaze of colour, music and dance as revellers give themselves over to religious fervour. From the very young to the very old, everyone participates in the Sinulog dance creating a truly incredible atmosphere. Other events during the nine days include beauty pageants, cultural shows, food exhibitions and a fluvial parade. One of the biggest celebrations in Cebu, the event attracts revellers and religious devotees from all over the Philippines." (Source: http://www.worldeventsguide.com/event.ehtml?o=4014 )


Related Links:

http://www.sinulog.ph/index.php/highlights/sinulog-on-film/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70NWBBoHWJo

Delayed Flight

I am now in Mactan-Cebu Airport waiting for the Cebu Pacific plane bound for Manila, Flight Number 5J 0570. The flight was delayed and I have to wait for another hour. Fortunately, there is a free Internet access here at the Cebu Domestic Terminal courtesy of SMART BRO.

I have checked my e-mails, and since I have some more free time, I updated my blog.

Cebu Pacific planes seem to be delayed nowadays (perhaps due to heavy booking). Sometimes a delayed flight may work to one's advantage; however, sometimes it may not.

I had a fruitful and relaxing trip to Cebu City and the seaside town of Moalboal, Cebu. I will post more blog entries and photos of my experience in Moalbal soon.

Cheers,

Raffy
1/22/08, 5:15 p.m.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

CSP Visayas Mindanao Research Conference: More Photos

To see more photos from the CSP (Computing Society of the Philippines) Visayas Mindanao Research Conference held on January 18, 2008 in the University of San Jose Recolletos, Cebu City, click on the link below:

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/photos/album/77/CSP_Visayas_Mindanao_Cebu_City



Saturday, January 19, 2008

CSP Visayas Chapter Organized








During the culmination of the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP) Visayas Mindanao Research Conference held last January 18, 2008 in the University of San Jose Recoletos (Basak Campus), Cebu City new CSP members took their oath and incoming CSP Visayas Board Members were inducted. The oath taking and induction were officiated by Dr. Jaime Caro (CSP President) and myself (Dr. Rafael Saldaña, CSP Immediate Past President).

Congratulations to the CSP Visayas Chapter, its members and officers!

Cheers,

Raffy

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Program: 5th CSP Visayas-Mindanao Research Conference, Cebu City

Photo Caption: University of San Jose-Recoletos (Basak Campus) in Cebu City, venue of the 5th Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP) Visaya - Mindanao Research Conference. Photo taken by Raffy Saldana on January 18, 2008.


5th CSP Visayas-Mindanao Research Conference
January 18, 2008, USJ-R, Basak, Cebu City
Organized by the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP)
Hosted by the University of San Jose-Recoletos (Basak Campus), Cebu Cite
E-mail: computingsoc@gmail.com, Website: http://www.csp.org.ph

PROGRAMME

08:00 – 09:00 am Registration

09:00 – 09:30 am Welcome/Opening Remarks Dr. Gregg Victor Gabison (Dean, CICCT, USJ-R, Cebu City)

Message from the CSP President Dr. Jaime Caro (University of the Philippines-Diliman / CSP)

09:30 – 10:20 am Research Talks: Dr. Rafael Saldaña (Ateneo de Manila University / CSP)
1. Research on Grid Computing
and Biomedical Applications
2. A Guide to CSP Research Publications

10:20 – 10:40 am Coffee Break

10:40 – 11:10 am IPTraf: Open Source Traffic Analyzer by Dr. Gerard Java (MOZCOM)

11:10 – 11:40 am Bi directional interface for mobile phones by Chris Aliac (Cebu Institute of Technology)

11:40 – 12:10 pm Probabilistic Speech Recognition for Tagalog Lecture Videos
by Chuchi Montenegro

12:10 – 01:30 pm Lunch Break

01:30 – 02:00 pm CocoMedic by Mar Gonzales

02:00 – 02:30 pm College of Computer Studies, Southwestern
University Online Information System by Rachille Segundo

02:30 – 03:00 pm Development of Reversed Biped Robot by Rafran de Villa

03:00 – 03:30 pm A Prototype Spreadsheet-Based Decision
Support System for Faculty Scheduling by Jovelyn Cuizon

03:30 – 04:00 pm Expert System's Evaluation of Student Learning
Performance by Dr. Elmer Maravillas

04:00 – 04:30 pm Dumaguete E-Traveller: A Knowledge-
Based Decision Support System by Dave Marcial

04:30 – 05:30 pm CSP Visayas-Mindanao Meeting with Dr. Caro and Dr. Saldaña

Emcee: Mr. Roderick Bandalan


NOTE:

I am now in Cebu City for the 5th Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP) Visayas-Mindanao Research Conference in ICT. Jimmy (Dr. Jaime Caro of the University of the Philippines-Diliman) and I are th guest speakers. Our host is Dr. Gregg Gabison, Dean of the College of Information, Computer and Commnications Technology of the University of San Jose Recoletos-Basak Campus in Cebu City.


Cheers,

Raffy
1/18/08




Wednesday, January 16, 2008

ICT4Health 2008: International Symposium On ICT For Health

Photo Caption: Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) is located in Katipunan Avenue,
Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Photo by Raffy Saldaña.

Background:

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has an important role in healthcare delivery, especially in many developing countries and communities.

The International Symposium on ICT For Health (ICT4Health 2008) aims to provide a forum for research and information exchange among healthcare practitioners, ICT professionals, researchers, faculty, students and various institutions engaged in ICT and Health (academia, government, industry, NGOs, etc.)

It will be held on February 29 to March 1, 2008 in the Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

ICT4Health 2008 will be held in conjunction with the 4th ONCO-MEDIA Project Meeting in Asia. ONCO-MEDIA (http://www.onco-media.com/) is international research collaboration on biomedical applications of Grid technology funded by the ICT Asia Regional Program of the French Government. The aim of ONCO-MEDIA project is to deploy a medical image semantic content-based application on a large scale grid test bed, by taking into account the context of the user and of the navigation / query and by matching semantic visual concepts extracted from the medical image with those (textual) extracted from the associated medical reports.

ICT4Health 2008 will also feature a Workshop on Apoptosis (Cancer).

Topics:

ICT4Health 2008 will include (but is not limited to) the following topics:
  • Bioinformatics
  • Biomedical Applications of Grid Computing
  • Biomedical Imaging
  • Computational Methods and Algorithms for Biomedical Applications
  • ICT-facilitated Collaboration in Biomedical/Health Research
  • ICT in Disease Prevention and Epidemiology
  • Improvement of Healthcare Delivery Through ICT
  • Information Retrieval/Data Mining for Health Applications
  • Medical Databases
  • Medical Informatics
  • Medical Ontology
  • Mobile and Wireless Applications for Health
  • Modeling and Simulation in Medicine
  • Using ICT in Remote Consultation, Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Using ICT to Improve Public Health Systems
  • Using ICT to Improve Medical Health Facilities


For more information, contact:

Dr. Rafael P. Saldaña
Convenor, ICT4Health 2008
c/o Grid and High Performance Computing Group
School of Science and Engineering
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108
PHILIPPINES
Telephone Numbers: (+63 2) 4266125, (+63 2) 7090907
Fax.: (+63 2) 4266125
Mobile: +63 928 5043121
E-mail: ict4health@gmail.com
Website: http://www.math.admu.edu.ph/ict4health/

Other Links:

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Monash University Accident Research Centre: Preventing Injury, Saving Lives


(Figure Caption: Logo of the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC). Source: http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/)
.
While searching for previous work that I did that is related to ICT (Information and Communications Technology) for Health, I chanced upon the website of Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

I was a research assistant in MUARC several years ago. One of the studies that I was involved in is related to injury prevention. See http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/reports/muarc036.html

Below is the title and abstract of our report on injury prevention in Victoria (one of the states of Australia):

Nonfatal Injuries in Victoria: an overview
Monash University Accident Research Centre - Report #36 - 1992
Authors: J. Langlois, C. Hawkins, M. Penny, I. Brumen & R. Saldana
Full report in .pdf format [4.6MB]

Abstract:

This report provides a basic overview of non-fatal injuries in Victoria resulting in hospital admission and those presenting to the emergency departments of hospitals participating in the Victorian Injury Surveillance System (VISS). For hospitalized injuries, an overview is presented of the leading causes, frequencies, age- and sex- specific rates and yearly trends. The causes of non-admitted presentations to VISS hospitals are provided to allow comparisons with injury hospitalizations for the under 15 years age group. The report recommends more detailed studies of the epidemiology of injuries to adolescents, young adults and Victorians in the middle years. It also recommends that further research efforts should focus on using these and other injury data as baseline data for setting injury prevention goals and for monitoring the effects of interventions.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Invitation: CSP Visayas-Mindanao Research Conference

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

The Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP) invites you to participate in the 5th Visayas Mindanao Research Conference (VMRC 2008), on January 18 (8:00 am Friday), 2008 at the AV Room of the St. Ezekiel Moreno Bldg, USJ-R Basak Campus, Cebu City.

The CSP organizes this conference to enable Filipino educators, researchers, and ICT professionals and students to interact and to share their work in computing, computer science, computer engineering, computational science, and information and communications technology (ICT) education.

The conference features special lectures by prominent researchers and educators in the field of information and communications technology (including computing, computer science, computer engineering, computational science, ICT education and related disciplines) .

It also features contributed research papers on computing and ICT.Conference Fee: P250.00

God Speed and Adelante !!

For CSP Visayas-Mindanao Chapter,

Gregg Victor Gabison, Ph.D.
Assoc. Professor
Dean, CICCTIT Administrator
University of San Jose-Recoletos
Tel No. 6332-4179500 Loc 103
St. Ezekiel Moreno Bldg
Basak CampusCebuCity
Philippines
http://www.usjr. edu.ph/


Program: (Tentative)

Friday, January 18 , 2008
Venue: St. Ezekiel Moreno Bldg AV Room, USJ-R Basak Campus

8:00 – 9:00 am Registration
9:00 – 9:15 Opening
9:15 – 10:00 "Writing Research Papers for ICT Journals (PCJ and PITJ)," Dr Rafael Saldaña
10:00 – 10:20 Coffee Break
10:20 – 11:00 Research Presentation
11:00 -- 11:40 Research Presentation
11:40 – 12:50 Lunch
1:00 – 3:30 Afternoon Sessions
3:30 – 4:00 Break
4:00 – 5:30 CSP Business Meeting with Dr. Jaime Caro (CSP President)

Saturday, January 12, 2008

PSHS AA Board Members (2008)

OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PSHS AA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Butch Zaldarriaga, Batch '80, Chairman
Eric Domingo, Batch 85 Vice-Chairman
Yeyet Diaz, Batch '84, Executive Secretary
Raffy Saldaña, Batch '77, Asst. Secretary
Tina Jardolin, Batch '84, Treasurer
Joyce Simpas, Batch '92, Asst. Treasurer
Susan Warren-Mercado, Batch '78 PRO
Jocelyn Sanchez-Mendoza, Batch '78 Auditor

Jun Sabug, Batch '69
Carlo Subido, Batch '82

Jubilarian Batch Representatives:

Gladys Barrer, Batch '83
Raymund Ancog, Batch '88
Abigail Serrano, Batch '93
Ma. Elena Dacanay, Batch '98
Pio Esguerra, Batch '03

Board Adviser: Ciel Habito, Batch '70


More photos of the Officers and Members of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Alumni Association Board of Directors for 2008 are available at

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/photos/album/68

Cheers,

Raffy
The Pisay '77 Blogger

Induction, PSHS Alumni Association Board of Directors 2008




Photo caption: Induction of Officers and Members of the PSHS Alumni Association Board of Directors 2008 held last January 11, 2008 in Makati City.

Last January 11, 2008 the Philippine Science High School Alumni Association Board of Directors (BOD) 2008 had its Induction and First BOD Meeting at the Murano Room, The Tower Club, Philam Life Tower, Makati City.
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Special guests include Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecratary Fortunato de la Peña, PSHS Foundation Chairman Alberto Muyot, and PSHS Main Campus OIC Director Jessamyn Yazon.
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One of the highlights of the meeting is the Business Plan presentation for 2008 by PSHS AA Chairman Caesar "Butch" Zaldarriaga.
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Congratulations to my fellow officers and members of Board of Directors of the PSHS Alumni Association!
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From,
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Raffy
The Pisay '77 Blogger

Thursday, January 10, 2008

DepEd-Intel Philippine Science Fair


Photo caption: Members of the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) of the DepEd-Intel Philippine Science Fair (IPSF) are shown during a meeting held last January 5, 2008 at the Department of Education (DepEd), Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines.


The Intel Philippine Science Fair (IPSF) is an annual and nationwide competition among high school students with the mission of promoting science and technology to the youth through research or investigatory projects.

IPSF used to be organized by the Department of Science and Technology Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI). However, starting schoolyear 2006-2007 the Department of Education (DepEd) replaced DOST-SEI in organizing the event.

This schoolyear (2007-2008) the IPSF will be held on February 14-16, 2008 (The exact venue is still to be announced).

Prior to holding the IPSF, each region in the Philippines holds a regional science fair. Each science fair has two divisions: (1) Life Science and (2) Physical/Applied Science. Each division has two clusters: cluster 1 and cluster 2. Cluster 1 includes public schools and non-science high schools while cluster 2 includes regional DepED science high schools and other science high schools under the DOST (for example, Philippine Science High School). Each cluster has two categories: (1) individual and (2) team.

Winners in regional science fairs are eligible to compete in the national level - the Intel Philippines Science Fair (IPSF) which is usually held in February of each year. It is in the IPSF where the Philippine entries to the International Science and Engineering Fairs (ISEF) are selected.

The ISEF is an annual international event sponsored by Intel and held in the United States of America (USA). Several countries all over the world participate in ISEF.

I have been a Grand Awards Judge in ISEF on two occassions: (1) in the ISEF held in Cleveland, Ohio, USA in May 2003 and (2) in the ISEF held in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA in May 2006.

I have also been a member of the Board of Judges (BOJ) in the IPSF since schoolyear 2003-2004. This schoolyear (2006-2008) I am both a member of the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) and the Board of Judges (BOJ) of the IPSF.

Last January 5, 2008, members of the Scientific Review Committee of IPSF met at the Dep-Ed main building in Pasig City to evaluate entries to the 2007-2008 DepED-Intel Philippine Science Fair. I belong to the SRC of projects under Physical/Applied Sciences division, cluster 1, individual category.

Our group evaluated the following entries:


1. "The Design, Construction and Evaluation of an Environment-Friendly Fruit Ripener with Gliricidia sepium (Kakauati) as an Additive", Jan Noriel Ines, Sinait National High School, Sinait, Ilocos Sur (Region 1)

2. "MORH: Jedoque Process of Increasing the Compressive Strenght and Lessening the Water Absorbency of Hollow Blocks", Jed Sidney T. Oliva Ballesteros National High School, Ballesteros, Cagayan, (Region 2)

3. "Construction and Testing of an Enclosed One-Pot Metal Rice Husk Fuelled Cooking Stove", Remundo Pena, Olongapo City National High School, Olongapo City (Region 3)

4. "Extraction of Silver from Used X-ray Films", Hia Cherylou D. Lecaroz, Joseph Marello Institute, San Juan, Batangas (Region 4a)

5. "Gabi Boom Spill", Mark Anthony C. Leido, San Teodoro National High School, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro (Region 4b)

6. "Improvised, Flexible Magnetic Motor Control with Energy-saver for Single and Three-Phase Motors", Je Enate Deocampo, Capiz National High School, Roxas City, Capiz (Region 5)

7. "Power Color Combination: Homemade Water Color", Joerme T. Olivar, Faraon National High School, Jagna, Bohol (Region 7)

8. "Chlorine-Free Handmade Paper from Musa sapientum (Banana) leaves", Misamis Occidental National High School, Oroqueta City (Region 10)

9. "S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa as Bioindicators in Determining the Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Intensities", Kimberly M. Abay, La Filipina National High School, Tagum City (Region 11)

10. "Utilization of Chicken Feathers as Fiberglass Creation", Jeffrey Celso Mari M. Rafael, The Quantum Academy, General Santos City (Reg. 12)

11. "Semiconducting Property of NaCl doped Green Mussel (Perna viridis) Shells: An Innovation for Organic Semiconductor Systems", Jessel Fatima D. Cane, Bayugan National Comprehensive High School, Bayugan City (CARAGA Region)

12. "Natural Antifungal Mango Fruit Ripener", Geneva Dupali, Saint Tonis College (High School), Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga, ( CAR )

13. "A Novel Voltaic Battery from Jatropha Curcas Fruit", Celerina M. Garcia, Tondo High School, Manila ( NCR )

The criteria for the scientific review of IPSF projects include the following:

1. Completeness (completed forms, signature and date: a. complete, b. incomplete)
2. Evidence of use of reference materials (a.adequate. b. inadequate)
3. Evidence of proper laboratory supervision (a. Yes, b. No, c. Needs certifications/data book)
4. Use of accepted research techniques
5. Use of pathogenic organisms, hazardous substances and devices/disposal of wastes (proper/improper)
6. Status of investigatory project (a. original concept of study -- does not violate intellectual property rights, b. with innovation, c. with violation found, d. needs changes/improvement, e. continuation of project)
7. Overall evaluation of project (a. approved, b. disapproved, c. conditional)

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Before And After (47 Years)


Today (1/9/08) I looked at my old photos and I saw my baby picture taken during my baptism (binyag) in 1961. Then, I had an idea to compile a solo picture of me since I was a baby until now -- a span of 47 years.

The picture on the left hand side was taken in January 1961 while the photo on the right hand side was taken on January 4, 2008.
Looking at my baby picture, I can see that I have a big face, chinky eyes, and a flat nose :)

I wonder how I will look like 10 or 20 years from now?

Cheers,

Raffy
The Pisay '77 Blogger

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Reminder: PCSC 2008 Deadlines (8th Philippine Computing Science Congress)

Dear Colleagues:

Please be reminded that the DEADLINE for contributed paper submission to the 8th Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC 2008) is on Tuesday, January 15, 2008.

Also, the deadline for the submission of PCSC 2008 Pre-Registration forms is on February 16, 2008.

PCSC 2008 will be held in the University of the Philippines-Diliman on February 23-24, 2008.

Please visit the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP) website, http://www.csp.org.ph/, for details.

Thank you.

Sincerely,


Dr. Rafael P. Saldaña
Chair
Scientific Program Committee
PCSC 2008Mobile: 0928-5043121
Telephones: (02) 4266125, (02) 7090907
E-mail: raffysaldana@gmail.com

------------------------------------------------------------

EXCERPT FROM THE PCSC 2008 WEBSITE:

(http://www.csp.org.ph/)


Contributed papers for PCSC 2008 should follow the formatting guidelines based on the ACM Word Template ( http://www.math.admu.edu.ph/~raf/pcsc07/cspformat.doc ). These papers will be peer-reviewed, and if accepted, they will be published in the Proceedings of the 8th Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC 2008). Qualified papers will be considered for publication in the Philippine Computing Journal (PCJ), the official journal of the Computing Society of the Philippines.

Submit papers to the CSP Secretariat ( computingsoc@gmail.com ), Tel./Fax (02) 426-6125.

Important Dates:

Deadline for PCSC 2008 paper submission January 15, 2008
Notification of acceptance January 27, 2008
Deadline for Registration Payment for Paper Contributors
February 16, 2008
Deadline for Submission of Pre-registration Forms
February 16, 2008
Conference February 23-24, 2008

Registration Fee:

PhP 2,500 (regular, non-student, walk-in)
2,000 (regular, non-student, pre-registered)
1,500 (non-student author of accepted paper)
1,500 (non-author currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, walk-in)
1,250 (non-author currently enrolled students, pre-registered)
1,000 (student author, currently enrolled)

Notes:

1.The registration fee includes free membership to CSP for the year 2008 (subject to the approval of the CSP membership committee)
2. It does not include transportation and accommodation expenses.
3.It includes a conference kit, PCSC 2008 CD Proceedings, a copy of the Philippine Computing Journal, snacks, lunch, conference welcome drinks, and a certificate of participation.
4. Pre-registration is required. Walk-in participants will have to pay a surcharge. Pre-registration forms must be received on or before February 16, 2008. Send an e-mail to computingsoc@gmail.com or call (02) 7090907 for registration payment details.

For more information, contact:

PCSC 2008 Executive Committee:

Rafael Saldaña, Ph.D.
Chair,
Scientific Program Committee,
PCSC 2008
c/o Ateneo de Manila University
Tel./Fax.: (02) 709-0907
E-mail:raffysaldana@gmail.com

Jaime Caro, Ph.D.
CSP President
c/o University of the Philippines-Diliman
Tel./Fax.: (02) 920-2636
E-mail: jdlcaro@gmail.com

Caslon Chua, Ph.D.
Over-all Chair, PCSC 2008
c/o De La Salle University
Tel./Fax.: (02) 536-0276
E-mail: chuacl@dlsu.edu.ph

(Note: Cut the portion below and send to the CSP Secretariat.)

PRE-REGISTRATION FORM

THE SECRETARIAT
PCSC 2008
c/o Rm. 317, Mathematics Department
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108
Philippines
Tel./Fax.: +63 2 4266125
E-mail: computingsoc@gmail.com
Website: http://www.csp.org.ph/

(Put a check mark corresponding to your choice/s.)

__ I would like to participate in the 8th Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC 2008) on February 23-24, 2008.

Full Name:
Affiliation:
Position:
Mailing Address:
Tel./Fax.:
Mobile Phone:
E-mail Address:

__________________________________

MODE OF PAYMENT:

1. If paying via cheque, make cheque payable to: COMPUTING SOCIETY OF THE PHILIPPINES

2. Registration payments may be made through the CSP's bank account in BANCO DE ORO.

Below are the details:

Name: COMPUTING SOCIETY OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.
Bank: BANCO DE ORO
Branch: Loyola Heights - Katipunan, Quezon City
Savings Account Number: 3570008929

NOTES:

1. Any bank charges should be charged to the payor and not to CSP.

2. Keep a copy of your bank transaction as proof of payment.

3. Notify Dr. Rafael Saldaña [ E-mail: raffysaldana@gmail.com ,
Mobile: 0928-5043121, Phone: (02) 7090907, Fax: (02) 7090907 ]
about the details of your payment (total amount, for how many persons, date and time payment was deposited, and name of Banco De Oro branch.

Monday, January 7, 2008

'Sing Along' With Caloy (Dr. Carlo Arcilla)


During our high school batch's (Philippine Science High School Class of 1977) mini-reunion last January 4, 2008 my batchmate Caloy (Dr. Carlo Arcilla, Director of the National Institute of Gelogical Sciences, University of the Philippines-Diliman) brought a guitar and our group sang with Caloy, singing mostly songs from the '70s.

One of the songs that Caloy sang was 'Our House' by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Here is the link to a video clip of Caloy (and our group) singing 'Our House': http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/video/item/11/Caloy_and_Our_House


Below are the lyrics of the song:


I'll light the fire
You put the flowers in the vase
That you bought today

Staring at the fire
For hours and hours
While I listen to you
Play your love songs
All night long for me
Only for me

Come to me now
And rest your head for just five minutes
Everything is good
Such a cozy room

The windows are illuminated
By the sunshine through them
Fiery gems for you
Only for you

Our house is a very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy'Cause of you
And our la,la,la, la,la, la, la, la, la, la, la.....

Our house
is a very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you
And Our

I'll light the fire
And you place the flowers in the jar
That you bought today

Source: http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/mygirl2/ourhouse.htm

Cheers,

Raffy
The Pisay '77 Blogger

PSHS '77 Jan. 4 Reunion: More Photos


Thirty years after graduating from high school, we members of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Class of 1977 are still actively involved in helping Pisay or PSHS.


Below is a link to more photos taken during our latest reunion (January 4, 2008 in Valle Verde, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines):

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/photos/album/63


Note: Try the 'Slideshow' option.

Also, see: http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/01/pshs-77-new-years-mini-reunion.html


Cheers,


Raffy
The Pisay '77 Blogger


Saturday, January 5, 2008

PSHS '77: New Year's Mini-Reunion

Photo Caption: 1st Row (L-R): Fidel Borja, Mary Verdure-Tolentino, Eva Ratilla, Tess Castillo, Emy Liwag, Iye Coronel-Ferrer, Jess Yazon, Marcie Samaniego-Atienza, Ricky Lim. 2nd Row (L-R): Mon Jocson, Raf Saldaña, Alvin Matos, Mon Duremdes, Butch Reyes, Pempe Calderon, Rolly Bañez, L. B., Caloy Arcilla, Mon Castillo, Rene Abad, Keku Domingo, Vivian Amandy, Cora Juguilon-Jasminez, Fe Santos-Dayco, Claire Farolan-Martinez.


Last Night (1/4/07) our high school batch, Philippine Science High School Class of 1977, had a mini-renunion at the residence of our batchmate Mon Jocson [ former President of IBM Philippines and currently VP for Asia (e-commerce) of IBM] in Valle Verde, Pasig City.

One-fifth of our batch were present.

We had lots of fun and we felt like (and acted like) high school students again :)

One of our batchmates, Caloy Arcilla (who is now the director of the National Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of the Philippines) brought his guitar and rendered a mini-concert. We sang several songs from the '70s.

It's hard to believe that after 30 years, we are still together and working for a common cause.

Long live PSHS '77 !

Cheers,

Raffy
The Pisay '77 Blogger
(http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/)

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Beautiful Sunrise in Banaue


This morning (1/3/08) I saw a beautiful sunrise from my room in Banaue Hotel (Banaue, Ifugao Province, Philippines). From 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., the sun finally appeared after several days of "hiding" (it has been a wet and foggy weather in Banaue over the past few days). However, after the brief sunrise, the weather became cloudy, foggy, and wet again : (

I had a good rest at the hotel after a back-breaking jeepney (local transport) ride from Sagada, to Bontoc, to Banaue.

In the afternoon I went to the Banaue museum to see some Ifugao artifacts and photos. The Banaue Museum is a private museum and is a short walking distance from the town center.

Cheers,

Raffy
1/03/07
in Banaue, Ifugao Province, Philippines

Photo Source and Related Link: http://www.philtourism.com/bhyh_desc.html

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Trip To Sagada (December 2007)


On December 28, 29, 30, and 31, 2007 my French colleagues and I visited Sagada in Mountain Province, Philippines.

Sagada is a small tourist town north of Luzon. This was my third time to be in Sagada (my first was in 1987 and my second was in 1997).

From Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila we took a Victory Liner bus going to Baguio City (in Benguet Province) at 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 28. The trip from Quezon City to Baguio City was around 6 hours. From Baguio City we took another bus (in Dangwa terminal) to Sagada, and the trip was about 7 hours.

In Sagada, we stayed at St. Joseph's Resthouse Cottages (a very nice place owned by the Episcopalian Church).

There are many things to see and do in Sagada. On Dec. 29, our group went trekking along rice paddies going to Bokong waterfalls. On the way back to Sagada town center, we passed by Masferre Photographs gallery, Sagada Weaving Center, St. Theodore's Hospital, and St. Mary's Episcopal Church. From the church, we went to the town cemetery and proceeded to the Echo Valley where we saw big rock formation and hanging coffins.

On Dec. 30, we visited Lumiang and Sumaging caves. In Lumiang cave we saw hundreds of traditional coffins stacked one after another. Some coffins are 200 years old.

Sumaging is a big cave. Exploring Sumaging cave is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' experience. It has big rock formation and water pool. There are also plenty of fossils. We were told that thousands of years ago, the mountain town of Sagada (which is about 1,500 meters above sea level) was once submerged under the sea.

Exploring the caves of Sagada was very exhausting for me. My French colleagues proceeded on a trekking trip to Lake Danom (more than one hour from Sagada town proper) while I got to St. Joseph's Resthouse Cottages.

Cheers,

Raffy

Related Links:

A Quiet New Year's Day In The Mountain Of Banaue

Photo Caption: Famous Banaue Rice Terraces.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

It's New Year's Day and I am here in the mountain town of Banaue, Ifugao Province, Philippines. Banaue is famous for its rice terraces which date back to thousands of years ago.

I am accompanying some French colleagues who are spending their holiday in the Philippines. I have brought them to Tagaytay City; Taal, Batangas; Taal lake and volcano; Puerto Galera, Mindoro; Baguio City; Sagada and Bontoc, Mountain Province; and Banaue, Ifugao.

The weather here in Banaue is foggy, wet and cold. I injured my shoulder during our cave exploration in Sagada two days ago. Now I am spending a quiet day here in Banaue while my French visitors headed to the Batad rice terraces -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I have not yet been to Batad. Unfortunately, Batad is still very far from Banaue and the road condition is bad. Oh well, there is always a next time :)

Happy New Year to All! May the Year of the Rat bring us peace, lots of blessings, and prosperity.

Cheers,

Raffy
1/1/08
in Banaue, Ifugao

Related Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banaue_Rice_Terraces