Thursday, August 16, 2007

Notes on Dr. Sarmenta's Lecture: Mobile Phones and Health Applications

My colleague, Dr. Luis Sarmenta is now in the Philippines for a short visit. He is based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA) as a research scientist but he still maintains a faculty position at the Department of Information Systems and Communications (DISCS) of Ateneo de Manila University. Luis and I are co-investigators in an international research collaboration on content-based medical image retrieval using Grid computing (see http://www.onco-media.com/).

Luis is a very talented Atenean. He graduated magna cum laude from Ateneo (B.S. Physics with Computer Engineering) and earned his masteral and doctoral degrees in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Science and Technology. He is a recipient of several major awards which include the following:
  • ASEAN Young Scientists and Technologists Award. Awarded by the ASEAN only once every three years. August 2005.
  • Outstanding Young Scientist Award. Awarded by the Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), July 2005.
    NAST-DuPont Talent Search for Young Scientists Award. Awarded by the Philippines National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and DuPont Far East, Inc., July 2003.
  • Microsoft ".NET Best" Awards, Worldwide 1st place Winner, Academic Category (US $125,000 total prize value for the school), for "Bayanihan Computing .NET: Grid Computing with XML Web Services." Awarded by Microsoft Corporation, USA, Aug. 2002.
  • ACM/IEEE CCGrid'01 Best Paper Finalist Award. "Sabotage-Tolerance Mechanisms for Volunteer Computing Systems," in the ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Cluster Computing and the Grid (CCGrid 2001), Brisbane, Australia, May 2001.

For more information about Dr. Luis Sarmenta, visit his website at http://people.csail.mit.edu/lfgs/


Yesterday (8/16/07) Luis gave a lecture on “Mobile Phone Applications for Health” at the Ateneo de Manila University. For an abstract of Dr. Sarmenta's lecture, see http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/invitation-talk-on-health-applications.html

For more information about this topic, e-mail me at raffysaldana@gmail.com or send a message directly to Dr. Luis Sarmenta at lfgs@mit.edu


Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Invitation: Talk on Health Applications of Mobile Phones

The School of Science and Engineering of Ateneo de Manila University cordially invites everyone to a lecture on:

"Mobile Phone Technologies for Health in the Third World: Applications and Opportunities"

by

Luis F. G. Sarmenta, Ph.D.
MIT Computer Science and A.I. Laboratory
and Ateneo de Manila University

16 August 2007, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Dean's Conference Rooom, School of Science and Engineering



ABSTRACT:

As mobile phone technologies become increasingly available and affordable, a new opportunity arises for us to use these technologies not just for communication or entertainment, but for improving both personal and public health around the world.

This talk presents the many ways in which people are already using mobile phone technologies in health care applications today, and identifies further opportunities to do even more. Mobile phone technologies have already changed lives around the world. Now, they can actually save lives as well.

This talk hopes to inspire and encourage us Filipinos to explore this areaand make original contributions to world-wide efforts using thistechnology. And by doing so, we can save lives not only within the Philippines, but around the world as well.


ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

DR. LUIS F. G. SARMENTA is a Research Scientist from the Computer Scienceand Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. He is also a faculty member of the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science of the Ateneo.


For inquiries, please call:

Office of the Dean
School of Science and Engineering
Ateneo de Manila University
Tel. 4266001 locals 5600 and 5602

PSHS Alumni Concert: "I Am What I Jam"

(Photo Caption: Group picture of the PSHS National Alumni Association Board Members. Ciel Habito and I are shown at the center.)



Dr. Cielito "Ciel" Habito is a former Cabinet Secretary (Director-General of the National Economic Development Authority or NEDA, during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos) and now the chairperson of the Ateneo de Manila University Economics Department. He is also the concurrent president of the Philippine Science High School Alumni Association and the Philippine Science High School National Alumni Association (Note: I am the corporate secretary of the PSHS NAA). He also writes a regular column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer ("No Free Lunch").

Below is an invitation from Ciel regarding the "PSHS Alumni Concert: Pisay @ 43com.2gether (I Am What I Jam)."

Raffy
8/16/07 in Quezon City

===================================================================



Dear Fellow PSHS Alumni,

Please come join your fellow PSHS alumni from 4 decades for the PSHSAA Alumni Concert this coming August 30, 2007 at 7pm at the AFP Theater, Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. Dubbed "Pisay@43com.2gether (I Am What I Jam)", it will be a grand musical reunion for all of us, led by the early Pisay talents from pioneer batch '69 up to the musical batch '75. Each of the first 8 batches of the PSHS will present a musical tribute of their own featuring music of their era.

The concert will also feature special performances from well-known PSHS alumni, led by AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. '70, Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Rogelio Calunsag '70, Mapua Institute of Technology President Dr. Reynaldo Vea '69 (the very first PSHS Valedictorian), UP College of Engineering Dean Rowena Guevarra '80, popular Opus Dei priest Fr. Jaime Achacoso '70, former NEDA Director-General Dr. Cielito Habito '70, and more! Himig Agham, the PSHS student choir, will also perform.

The concert promises to be an evening of fun and Pisay camaraderie, while helping raise funds for your alumni association's various projects, including the forthcoming 6th Gawad Lagablab Outstanding Alumnus Awards, the Alumni Forums, the planned Grand Pisay Alumni Congress, facilities support for our alma mater, and other projects to enable PSHS Alumni to pay back to the school, and pay forward to the Filipino people, the avowed Mission of the PSHSAA.

Tickets are available at P500 (Patron), P350 (Sponsor), P200 (Regular) and P100 (Young Alumni and students -- i.e. only for batches 2000 and up).

You may address inquiries and place orders for tickets with me at cfhabito@mozcom.com (or text 0917-500-5224) or Vince Ragay (Concert Director) at mailto:hvimra2000@yahoo.com (0916-771-4615). Or just come to the concert venue on the evening of August 30, 2007 and get your tickets at the entrance (please drop us a line if you intend to come, so we can make sure we reserve tickets for you!).

Come bring your batchmates, family and friends for this unique opportunity to witness the hidden talents of PSHS science scholars through the decades!

See you all on Thursday, August 30!

Mabuhay,

Ciel Habito '70
PSHSAA &PSHSNAA President

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

30 Years After High School















(Photo Caption: Members of the PSHS Class of 1977 in their senior year. Copyright: PSHS '77)

PSHS '77: 30 Years After High School

High school life is one of the most memorable events in one’s life. This is the time when an adolescent is exposed to new ideas; experiences several physiological changes; and dwells in the realm of “crushes”, “puppy love”, and a wide range of emotions.

It has been thirty years since our batch graduated from Philippine Science High School in Diliman, Quezon City. From several thousand applicants from all over the Philippines, only 150 became PSHS freshmen scholars in the schoolyear 1972-73. We were distributed into five sections (Sun, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, and Uranus) in our freshman year. In the schoolyear 1976-77 (our senior year) we were reduced to 125 students (Our sections were called Atom, Electron, Neutron, Pi-Meson, and Proton).

A lot of things have occurred since 1977. The Martial Law regime of Marcos was toppled by the “People Power Revolution” of EDSA I. Then there was EDSA II, followed by “EDSA III”. We witnessed the change of Philippine presidents from Ferdinand Marcos to Cory Aquino, to Fidel Ramos, to Joseph Estrada, and to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Like the very dynamic political situation in our country, our lives have also a share of “turbulence.” But there is one thing that we are proud of: that we are part of a special school called Philippine Science High School (now fondly called “Pisay” by the younger generation of students and alumni).

Our batch has produced several scientists and technologists, teachers/academics (in the fields of science and technology, health and medicine, business and management, social sciences, and humanities), medical practitioners, entrepreneurs, managers, government officials and personnel, and NGO workers.

Our batch has also contributed to PSHS not only financially but also through human resources: as campus directors, as faculty, as members of the Board of Trustees, as officers of the Alumni Association and the Foundation, and as parents of scholars.

To highlight our involvement in PSHS this year, our batch has engaged in a fund-raising campaign to upgrade the audio-visual facilities of the PSHS research AVR and to acquire computers and other equipment for the PSHS dormitory Internet Café.

The PSHS Class of 1977 joins this year’s jubilarian batches in celebrating another milestone in the history of the Philippine Science High School.

As we go through the routine of our daily lives, the members of PSHS Class of 1977 will always be inspired by the PSHS Hymn: "...reach for our dreams, ... strive for our goals, ... search for the untarnished truth..."

Mabuhay!

Dr. Rafael P. Saldaña
Batch Representative (PSHS Class of 1977)
and former Director, PSHS Diliman Campus
15 August 2007

Monday, August 13, 2007

My High School Batchmates (PSHS '77)


I belong to the Philippine Science High School Class of 1977. This year (2007) is our 30th batch anniversary. Our batch is one of the jubilarian batches who are in charge of the Alumni Homecoming on September 1, 2007 at the Philippine Science High School, Diliman, Quezon City.


Recently, I created our batch blog, with address at http://www.pshs77.blogspot.com/


I also maintain an online batch photo album, with address at http://pshs77photos.blogspot.com/


Our batch also has an e-group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pshs77/ in which I am one of the moderators.


For our 30th anniversary batch projects, we plan to upgrade the PSHS research/biology Audio-Visual Room in the main building and to acquire computers and other equipment for the PSHS dormitory Internet Cafe for the benefit of the PSHS Diliman students. This is our way of "paying back" to our alma mater. (We had other projects for the school during previous years.)


After thirty (long) years, it feels good to know that your highschool batch is still "alive and kicking" and will always be there for you "no matter what" :)


Kudos to all PSHS '77 batchmates! Mabuhay tayong lahat!


Cheers,


Raf (Raffy)

8/14/07, in Quezon City



PHP Programming Exercises, Day 1.

As mentioned in a previous blog entry (See http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/notes-on-php-programming-part-i.html) I am now taking a short course on PHP Programming and MySQL Applications at the University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center (UPITTC). During day 1 (August 12, 2007) we were given two exercises. Below are the exercises and my solutions.


PROBLEMS:

Exercise No. 1

a. Store your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address in variables with valid names.
b. Display the values of the variables in different lines.
(Optional: Use HTML tags to format your output (e.g., bold, italics, underline, etc.))

Exercise No. 2:

Create a simple PHP script that will determine whether two numbers are odd or even. If both numbers are even, display sum; if bot are odd, display their difference.
If either one is odd and the other is even, display their product.



MY SOLUTIONS:

To view my solutions to these exercises visit the following link:

http://www.freewebs.com/rpsaldana/phpmysql.htm


Cheers,

Raffy
(8/13/07, in Quezon City)

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Notes on PHP Programming, Part I.

( Photo Caption: The building where the UP Information Technology Training Center is located. Source: http://www.ittc.up.edu.ph/ )

Last Sunday, August 12, 2007 I attended a short course on "PHP&MySQL" at the University of the Philippines Information Technology Center (UPITTC) in Diliman, Quezon City. This course will run for four Sundays. This is the training course that I wanted to attend last August 5, 2007, the day that I had a car accident at the C-5 flyover in Pasig City (see blog entry, http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/do-you-know-what-to-do-after-car.html). I came all the way from Bacoor, Cavite to U.P. Diliman that day just to find out that the first meeting was cancelled (postponed to August 12, 2007).

Here are some of my notes on the first day of the course:

============================
UPITTC
PhP&MySQL Web Applications
Day 1: August 12, 2007

============================

9:00 - 9:45 a.m. Introduction

Instructor: Regnard Kreisler C. Raquedan

Participants:

Karla, Shanel, Jay, Michael, Che, Dennis
Raffy, Francis, Jarvis, Nino, Janet, Weng, Alain, Gold
Jun, Melody, Richard, VJohn, Roland, Albert, Apple, Jason

10:00 a.m.
Notes: CRUD project (Create, Read, Update, Delete)

Course Requirements:
Class project
Written exam (probable)
(short but tricky exam)
No project, no certificate of completion

Course Prerequisites:
1. WWW
2. HTML
3. General Programming Concepts
4. Basic Knowledge of Databases

SQL: Structured Query Language

Course Schedule

Day 1. Introduction, Writing PhP Statements, Variables&Data
Day 2. Program Flow
Day 3. Web Application Basics
Day 4. Working with MySQL
Day 5. Presentation


Introduction

PHP: A Brief History

PHP: Personal Homepage, or Hypertext Preprocessor
(1995), a Perl/CGI script
Official Name: PHP (Page Hypertext Preprocessor)
(A recursive acronym)

Version 5 - 2004, current version
PHP is best summarized as an embedded server-side
Web-scripting language that provides developers with
the capability to quickly and efficiently build
dynamic Web applications.
Note: You can put PHP code anywhere in the code.

Client-Server architecture
Explain client-server relationship
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client-server
"
Client-server
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Client-server is computing architecture which
separates a client from a server, and is almost always
implemented over a computer network. Each client or
server connected to a network can also be referred to
as a node. The most basic type of client-server
architecture employs only two types of nodes: clients
and servers. This type of architecture is sometimes
referred to as two-tier. It allows devices to share
files and resources.

Each instance of the client software can send data
requests to one or more connected servers. In turn,
the servers can accept these requests, process them,
and return the requested information to the client.
Although this concept can be applied for a variety of
reasons to many different kinds of applications, the
architecture remains fundamentally the same.
These days, clients are most often web browsers,
although that has not always been the case. Servers
typically include web servers, database servers and
mail servers.
"
Keyword: request
Situation: you opened a browser, and a pop-up window
opened
(something made a request, e.g. friendster,...
spyware, virus, etc.)
Summary:
client - user
browser - client-appl;ication
server - responds to your request
PHP bears a close resemblance to the C programming
language
Integrates features from a multitude of languages,
including Perl, Java and C++
Extensive support is offered for graphic creation and
manipulation, mathematical calculations, and
E-commerce
Question: Disadvantage
Why does PHP creates a disadvantage at times?
Answer: Maintenance problem 9developer tends to be
lazy, creates bad habits, hard for a programmer to
move into other modes of programming)
Advantages
Related technology: AJAX
Ajax
for web 2.0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_%28programming%29
This page pertains to AJAX used in programming
(Asynchronous Javascript And XML) to view other
possible meanings of AJAX, please visit Ajax
(disambiguation)
"
Ajax, or AJAX, is a web development technique used for
creating interactive web applications. The intent is
to make web pages feel more responsive by exchanging
small amounts of data with the server behind the
scenes, so that the entire web page does not have to
be reloaded each time the user requests a change. This
is intended to increase the web page's interactivity,
speed, functionality, and usability.
The name is shorthand for Asynchronous JavaScript and
XML. Ajax is asynchronous in that loading does not
interfere with normal page loading. JavaScript is the
programming language in which Ajax function calls are
made. Data retrieved using the technique is commonly
formatted using XML, as reflected in the naming of the
XMLHttpRequest object from which Ajax is derived.
Ajax is a cross-platform technique usable on many
different operating systems, computer architectures,
and Web browsers as it is based on open standards such
as JavaScript and XML, together with open source
implementations of other required technologies.
"
Old School: Websites were merely publsihing contents
Web 2.0: More about participation
Time Person of the Year : YOU (you as a contributore,
e.g. YouTube )
Question: What is Open Source?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source
"
Open source is a set of principles and practices that
promote access to the design and production of goods
and knowledge. The term is most commonly applied to
the source code of software that is available to the
general public with relaxed or non-existent
intellectual property restrictions. This allows users
to create software content through incremental
individual effort or through collaboration.
The open source model of operation can be extended to
open source culture in decision making, which allows
concurrent input of different agendas, approaches and
priorities, in contrast with more centralized models
of development such as those typically used in
commercial companies.[1] Open source culture is one
where collective decisions or fixations are shared
during development and made generally available in the
public domain, as done in Wikipedia. This collective
approach moderates ethical concerns over a "conflict
of roles" or conflict of interest. Participants in
such a culture are able to modify the collective
outcomes and share them with the community. Some
consider open source as one of various possible design
approaches, while others consider it a critical
strategic element of their operations.
Before the term open source became popular, developers
and producers used various phrases to describe the
concept; the term gained popularity with the rise of
the Internet which enabled diverse production models,
communication paths and interactive communities.[2]
Later, open source software became the most prominent
face of open source practices.
"
Source code is available ot the public under a certain
license agreement
PHP is open source
Apache and IIS are web servers
Blog: wordpress uses PHP, yahoo
What is an IP address: unique identifier for the
server on the net, IPV4, 32 bit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique
address that certain electronic devices use in order
to identify and communicate with each other on a
computer network utilizing the Internet Protocol
standard (IP)—in simpler terms, a computer address.
Any participating network device—including routers,
computers, time-servers, printers, Internet fax
machines, and some telephones—can have their own
unique address.
"
An IP address can also be thought of as the equivalent
of a street address or a phone number (compare: VoIP
(voice over (the) internet protocol)) for a computer
or other network device on the Internet. Just as each
street address and phone number uniquely identifies a
building or telephone, an IP address can uniquely
identify a specific computer or other network device
on a network. An IP address differs from other contact
information, however, because the linkage of a user's
IP address to his/her name is not publicly available
information.
IP addresses can appear to be shared by multiple
client devices either because they are part of a
shared hosting web server environment or because a
network address translator (NAT) or proxy server acts
as an intermediary agent on behalf of its customers,
in which case the real originating IP addresses might
be hidden from the server receiving a request. A
common practice is to have a NAT hide a large number
of IP addresses, in the private address space defined
by RFC 1918, an address block that cannot be routed on
the public Internet. Only the "outside" interface(s)
of the NAT need to have Internet-routable addresses.
Most commonly, the NAT device maps TCP or UDP port
numbers on the outside to individual private addresses
on the inside. Just as there may be site-specific
extensions on a telephone number, the port numbers are
site-specific extensions to an IP address.
IP addresses are managed and created by the Internet
Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The IANA generally
allocates super-blocks to Regional Internet
Registries, who in turn allocate smaller blocks to
Internet service providers and enterprises.
"
PHP is free
PHP website: http://www.php.net/
http://www.php.net/license/
How PHP Works with the Web Server
* It all begins when a browser makes a request for a
Web page
* Based on the URL, the browser resolves the address
of the Web server, idnetifies the page it would like,
and gives any other informatio the Web server may
need.
You can work with Indows with PHP
".php" files should be placed in a particular folder
server: request
client: respond
they don't have to be in two distinct machines
Note: Even though you are not in a network, the IP
address assigned to your computer will still work
(deafult setting)
127.0.0.1 (Home IP address)
Domain Names - associated with IP address
path
C:\Program Files\xampp\htdocs
http://localhost/xampp/index.php


WRITING PHP STATEMENTS

Simple Statements
One line statemens
Ends with semicolon (;)

Example:

Echo ("Hello World!");

More on World Heritage Sites


(Photo Caption: The Logo of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list)

In a previous blog entry (See http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/world-heritage-sites.html) I mentioned that the Philippines has five sites in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

According the UNESCO website ( See http://whc.unesco.org/en/list) the World Heritage List includes 851 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. These include 660 cultural, 166 natural and 25 mixed properties in 141 States Parties. As of October 2006, 184 States Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention.

To be included in the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. These criteria are explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention which, besides the text of the Convention, is the main working tool on World Heritage. The criteria are regularly revised by the Committee to reflect the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself.

Selection criteria: (Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/ )


"
1. to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;



2. to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;



3. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;



4. to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;



5. to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;



6. to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);



7. to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;



8. to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;




9. to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;



10. to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.



The protection, management, authenticity and integrity of properties are also important considerations. "



The complete list of World Heritage Sites is found in this website:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/



Looking at the list, I realized that out of the out of the 851 sites listed, I have already visited 41 sites [still a long way to go, but it is already something :) ]. Below is a list of the sites that I have been to/visited (Note: The numbers in parenthesis is the year of inscription of the site as a World Heritage site and NOT the year that I have visited it):

WORLD HERITAGE SITES THAT I HAVE VISITED (as of August 2007)

Australia

1. Greater Blue Mountains Area (2000)
2. Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (2004)
3. Sydney Opera House (2007)


Austria

4. Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn (1996)
5. Historic Centre of Vienna (2001)

China

6. Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (1987, 2004)
7. The Great Wall (1987)
8. Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing (1998)
9. Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing (1998)
10. Historic Centre of Macao (2005)

Denmark

11. Kronborg Castle (2000)

Egypt

12. Historic Cairo (1979)
13. Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur (1979)

France

14. Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and Palace of Tau, Reims (1991)
15. Paris, Banks of the Seine (1991)

Germany

16. Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (1990, 1992, 1999)


Greece

17. Acropolis, Athens (1987)


Holy See

18. Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura (1980, 1990) * 11

19. Vatican City (1984)

Israel

20. White City of Tel-Aviv -- the Modern Movement (2003)

Italy

21. Historic Centre of Florence (1982)
22. Venice and its Lagoon (1987)

Japan

23. Shrines and Temples of Nikko (1999)

Jerusalem (Site proposed by Jordan)

24. Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (1981)

Philippines

25. Baroque Churches of the Philippines (1993)
26. Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (1995)
27. Historic Town of Vigan (1999)
28. Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park (1999)

Portugal

29. Cultural Landscape of Sintra (1995)
30. Historic Centre of Oporto (1996)

Spain

31. Burgos Cathedral (1984)
32. Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid (1984)
33. Works of Antoni Gaudí (1984, 2005) 23
34. Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches (1985)
35. Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) (1985)
36. Historic City of Toledo (1986)
37. Route of Santiago de Compostela (1993)

Switzerland

38. Old City of Berne (1983)
39. Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn (2001, 2007)

United States of America

40. Grand Canyon National Park (1979)
41. Statue of Liberty (1984)

Note: I have been to Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand but I have not visited any of their World Heritage sites. The next time I will visit these countries, I will make a point to visit at least one of their sites listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Cheers,

Raffy
(8/13/07, in Quezon City)

Car Accident Photos











Last August 5, 2007, I had a car accident at the C-5 fly-over in Pasig City (See blog entry, http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/do-you-know-what-to-do-after-car.html). Here are the photos of my Honda City Car (model 2006) showing the damaged portion.
Raffy
(8/13/07, in Quezon City)










World Heritage Sites



(Photo Caption: The Ifugao Rice Terraces in Batad, Philippines. Source: http://www.travel-philippines.com/locations/central-luzon/2-batad.htm )



I have been writing about the subject of car accidents for one week already. I think I have already recovered from my "post accident anxiety". A colleague of mine who is a psychologist actually advised me to write something about my car accident experience in my BLOG. She said it would help me (psychologically).




I believe that it is now time for me to change topics.


Last Saturday (8/11/07) I saw a film feature (what others call an independent film) about the Ifugao rice terraces in Batad, Mountain Province (in northern Philippines). I learned from the film that the Ifugao rice terraces is listed as one of the World Heritage Sites.


What is a World Heritage Site?


A quick look at Wikipedia ( http://www.wikipedia.org/ ) gave this answer:


World Heritage Site
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


( Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site )

"A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State Parties (countries) which are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a fixed term.[1] (This is similar to the United Nations Security Council.)




The programme aims to catalogue, name, and conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of mankind. Under certain conditions, listed sites can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund. The programme was founded with the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. Since then, 184 (as of July 2007) States Parties have ratified the convention.



As of 2007, a total of 851 sites are listed: 660 cultural, 166 natural, and 25 mixed properties, in 142 States Parties. UNESCO references each World Heritage Site with a unique identification number; but new inscriptions often include previous sites now listed as part of larger descriptions. As a result, the numbering system currently ends above 1200, even though there are fewer on the actual list.



Each World Heritage Site is the property of the country on whose territory the site is located, but it is considered in the interest of the international community to preserve each site for future generations of humanity. The protection and conservation of these sites are a concern of all the World Heritage countries."


Currently, there are five World Heritage Sites listed under the Philippines. These are:


(See http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31 )

1. Baroque Churches of the Philippines (1993)
2. Tubbataha Reef Marine Park (1993)
3. Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (1995)
4. Historic Town of Vigan (1999)
5. Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park (1999)


I realized that I have visited four out of five sites fom this list. The only site that I have not visited (from the Philippine list) is the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.


Well, I hope to visit this marine park someday :)


Cheers,


Raffy(8/13/07, in Quezon City)

P.S. Below are some links to the Ifugao Rice Terraces in Batad, Philippines:




http://www.travel-philippines.com/locations/central-luzon/2-batad.htm


http://www.aenet.org/ifugao/batad.htm

One Week After My Car Accident: Rubbing Salt to Injury

It has been one week already since I had a car accident (See blog entry, http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/do-you-know-what-to-do-after-car.html ). And my car has not yet been repaired!

A representative of the car insurance company (not mine, but that of the Volvo car that hit my Honda City car) has inspected the damage to my car but that insurance company has not yet informed me about the result of the inspection. Meanwhile, I brought my car to Honda Cars Pasig last Saturday (8/11/07) to get an estimate of the cost of repair. I was told that the cost estimate(parts and labor)is about twenty six thousand pesos (PhP 26,000.00). I was also told that Honda Cars Pasig would need one week to repair my car.

Last week, I also got a text message from the owner of the Volvo car that hit my car. He told me that "his car had no damage whatsoever." Isn't this a case of "rubbing salt to injury"???

The moral of the story is: "If you are a car driver, be careful (that your car would) not to be hit by a Volvo. Otherwise, you would be sorry!!!"

Raffy
(8/13/07, in Quezon City)

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Car Accident Insurance: Procedure in Filing a Claim

Still on the subject of car accidents (See my blog post, http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/do-you-know-what-to-do-after-car.html ), last Monday (8/6/07) the car insurance company of the Volvo car that hit my Honda City car last Sunday (8/5/07) contacted and informed me that a company representative will conduct an inspection of the damage to my car. Yesterday (8/7/07) a representative of the insurance company went to my place and inspected my car.

As a car owner (and a driver) one should know how to file claims from a car insurance company. Below is the procedure in filing a claim ( Source: http://www.standard-insurance.com/claims_servicing.shtml ) (Note: The procedure may vary, depending on the car insurance company):


Procedure in filing a claim

Filing Motor Car Claim


· General Requirements

1. Complete photocopy of the face of the Policy Contract and Policy Schedule

2. Photocopy of the Official Receipt (OR) of premium payment

3. Photocopy of Endorsement (if any)

4. Photocopy of Car Registration and Motor Vehicle Registration Receipt

5. Photocopy of Driver's License and OR

6. Police Report

7. Affidavit of the driver (if the circumstances are not clear in the police report)


· Additional Requirements

1. For Total Loss

a. Purchase Invoice/ Delivery Receipt

b. Outstanding balance from the bank (if mortgaged)


2. For Carnap


a. Complaint Sheet

b. Alarm Sheet

c. Original Keys

d. Purchase Invoice/ Delivery Receipt



3. For Third Party Property Damage

a. Insurance Policy of the Third Party

b. Car Registration and Official Receipt of the Third Party

c. Driver's License and Official Receipt of the Third Party

d. Certificate of No Claim from Third Party Insurer

e. Stencil of Motor and Chassis Number of Insured and Third Party vehicles

f. Colored pictures (if available)

g. Estimates (if available)


4. For Third Party Other Than Vehicle


a. Colored pictures of the damaged property

b. Estimated cost of repairs of the damaged property

c. Proof of ownership

d. Stencil of Motor and Chassis Number of insured vehicle


5. For Third Party Bodily Injury

a. Medical Certificate

b. Receipts of Medicine

c. Hospital Bills

d. Birth Certificate (if minor)

e. Stencil of Motor and Chassis Number of Insured Vehicle


6. For Third Party Death

a. Death Certificate

b. Funeral Receipts

c. Marriage Contract (if married)

d. Birth Certificate (if minor or single)

e. Stencil of Motor and Chassis Number of Insured Vehicle

· Procedure

1. Report to the nearest police station for investigation and secure a copy of the police investigation report.

2. SUBMIT ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS either to the branch, agency or car dealer where you acquired your insurance.

3. The outlet where you filed your documents shall assign your claim to the Company's Technical Department for the inspection of the unit to determine the fair extent of damage sustained.

4. PLEASE COMPLY WITH THE ASSIGNED SCHEDULE FOR INSPECTION TO AVOID DELAY.

5. The outlet where you filed your claim will inform you of the approved amount of claim and the amount of your participation in betterments. This will be done either by:


* Letter of Authority (LOA) addressed to the shop which will undertake the repair, or

* Cash Settlement

Important Reminders

1. Never have your unit repaired without approval of the Company's Claims Division. This is a ground for denial of claim.

2. In case insured unit is disabled, assured is required to make arrangements for safekeeping of the insured unit, as stated in your policy.

3. We strongly suggest that the photocopies of the first five general requirements be readily available (preferably inside the glove compartment of your car).

4. Make sure that you and your driver is in possession of a valid Driver's License with the applicabale restriction code stated therein.

What applies to me is procedure number 3, i.e., "Third Property Damage." In addition to the requirements stated above, I have to submit a "NO CLAIM" form from my car insurance company to the insurance company of the Volvo car that hit my car. Also, in this case, a driver's affidavit (from the other party) will take the place of a police investigation report.

It has been two days since I had car accident. My work and schedules have been affected. Also, I have to deal with post-accident anxiety and the fact that my (relatively) new car has been damaged! This is frustrating but I have to deal with this reality.

Raffy (8/8/07 in Quezon City)


Monday, August 6, 2007

Car Accidents in Metro Manila Are Common


While looking for articles related to car accidents (I just had a car accident recently, see http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/do-you-know-what-to-do-after-car.html ) I saw some statistics on car crashes in the U.S. (I wish I could find some statistics on car accidents in the Philippines):

Did you know that....


" Car Crash Stats: There were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States in 2005. The financial cost of these crashes is more than 230 Billion dollars. 2.9 million people were injured and 42,636 people killed. About 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the United States -- one death every 13 minutes."

Source: http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/stats.html

Just this morning (8/7/07) three car accidents were reported on the TV news: (1) a motorcycle hit a car, (2) the driver of a taxi cab had a heart attack and died, and the car hit several objects nearby, and (3) a Honda CRV turned turtle at the Commonwealth flyover due to slippery weather condition.

So the next time you drive, be careful and be prepared.

Raffy
8/07/07
Quezon City

Driving in Metro Manila

Below are the contents of a website I found on the Internet while searching for information about what to do in case of car accidents. I just experienced a car accident last Sunday, 5 August 2007 (See http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/do-you-know-what-to-do-after-car.html ) so the current theme of my blog now is about car accidents:

MANILA ROAD TRAVEL INFORMATION

Source: http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com/city/75/road/South-East-Asia/Manila.html


"Driving in Manila is not for the faint-hearted, as there is a fairly opportunistic attitude.

In theory, the Filipinos drive on the right and the legal driving age is 18 years. The national roads (expressways), smaller main roads (highways) and smaller streets or alternate roads are all signposted in English. The national speed limit on expressways is 80kph (50mph), falling to 40kph (25mph) in built-up areas of central Manila.

There are drink-driving laws but these are not strictly adhered to. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.10%, approximately equivalent to six bottles of beer. If stopped by the police while driving under the influence of alcohol, you will be fined or will have to spend three to six days in jail and will have to attend an obligatory seminar on the dangers of drink driving.

The general rule is that drivers give way to buses at all times. The safest lane is the outside lane, although drivers will overtake on the inside or on the hard shoulder if there is a gap in the traffic.

Care should be taken when driving at night, especially as many cyclists and even truck drivers may not use lights. Accidents are marked by burning oilcans placed in the road.

Foreign and international driving licences are valid for 90 days from arrival in the country but it is unlikely that one will be asked for your licence once the vehicle is hired. No other documentation is needed apart from your passport.

The Automobile Association Philippines (formerly known as the Philippine Motor Association) 683 Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City (tel: (02) 723 0808 or 726 0191), operates a 24-hour emergency breakdown and towing service within Metro Manila. This is free to members. "

Disclaimer: I did not write the quoted article above, so the opinions expressed in the article are not mine.

Raffy
8/7/07, Quezon City

It's Better to be Safe than Sorry

Because of the car accident that I experienced last Sunday (See http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2007/08/do-you-know-what-to-do-after-car.html ) the dominant theme of my blog for the moment is about car accidents.

While looking for information about car accidents on the Internet I found one relevant site. Although the information contained in the site geared towards American readers, the site I think is also relevant to Philippine situation (except for the emergency number).


CAR ACCIDENT KNOWLEDGE

Source: http://www.atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/transportation/car_accident_knowledge.htm

"At some point in your life, you will probably be involved in a car accident. It may simply be a bump in the parking lot, or you could end up in a more serious accident where people are injured. In any case, knowing how to react to a car accident will improve the outcome for everyone involved.

You may be wondering, "Why do I need to know what to do if I'm in a car accident?" If you do not follow the proper procedure, your insurance company could refuse to pay your claim. In addition, you could face fines if you do not follow legal procedures.

Being aware of the steps to follow will help you when you file police reports and when you file for insurance compensation.As a precautionary measure, keep first aid supplies and an emergency kit in your car. Flares, a bright orange vest, a cell phone, and a disposable camera are all helpful objects to have in case of an accident.

If you are in a moving vehicle when an accident occurs, immediately and safely pull over to the side of the road, turn off your car, and turn on your hazard lights. Check to see if anyone is hurt. If there is an injured person, do not move them until you take standard first aid measures. Place flares, cones, or triangles alongside the road a few hundred feet before the accident so traffic is aware that there is an accident ahead.

Call 911 and inform them of any injuries. If you are on a freeway and do not have access to a cell phone or telephone, check for a roadside phone that you can use.


Trade information with everyone involved in the accident. Be sure to exchange the following:

• Name, address, phone numbers of all drivers
• Name, address, phone number of all passengers or witnesses
• Driver's license numbers and license plate numbers
•Insurance companies of all drivers involved
• Registered owners of all cars
•Year, model, make, etc. of all cars involved.

Do not discuss what happened with anyone else but the police. Do not say that it was your fault, and do not make accusations. These comments may be used against you later.

If time and accident conditions allow, take notes about your perception of what happened. Immediately report the accident to your insurance company, and to the police if there is over $500 in damages (in Washington state-check with your state laws for the dollar amount in your state). You may find that the other driver has filed a report stating that the accident was your fault.

If you have or suspect an injury, visit a doctor right away. Following these simple steps will keep the accident scene as safe as possible, and will help to ensure that no one has to bear unnecessary blame.

The next time you are involved in an accident, whether it be a fender-bender or a rollover, don't panic. Now you know the proper procedure for dealing with this type of situation."

Raffy, 8/7/07, Quezon City