Wednesday, March 30, 2011

How to Apply for Unionbank's EON Card

Note: I noticed that UnionBank made some changes for the application of EON card. Thus this article was updated to reflect those changes.

Last week, I tried to purchase a book using my Paypal account. The problem is that I can't purchase the book because Paypal is preventing me because I haven't linked my account yet to any credit or debit card. I tried, in vain, to use my BPI ATM Card as a debit card so that I can finally verify my Paypal account. Even though my BPI ATM Card a VISA logo on the back, Paypal can't accept it for verifying my account.

I called BPI customer service and they said that they don't have special arrangement with Paypal so my BPI ATM Card can't be used to verify my account.

I discovered that only Unionbank is the only bank in the Philippines that has special arrangements with Paypal. In the Philippines, only Unionbank's EON Card is accepted by Paypal as a debit card that can be used to verify Paypal accounts. Because of this, I was forced to apply for Unionbank EON Card.
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Requirements for Unionbank EON Card Application


Here are the requirements for Unionbank EON Card according to Unionbank's website:

1. Unionbank EON Card Application form – This can be downloaded from Unionbank's website. This is also available from any Unionbank branch and you can fill it up when you apply for Unionbank EON Card.

2. One photo-bearing valid ID. You can see the list of valid IDs this page of UnionBank's website.

3. 350 Pesos – This is the fee that you have to pay when applying for Unionbank EON Card.

How I Applied for Unionbank EON Card


I went to the Unionbank branch near my office. I told the Unionbank teller that I am applying for a Unionbank EON Card. I was given an application form, which I filled up. Also, the Unionbank teller will ask for my IDs, which she photocopied. The application for the Unionbank EON Card is done after filling up the application form. I did not paid the application fee yet. I paid the application fee after I got my Unionbank EON Card three days later.

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Applying for Unionbank EON Card is easy and I got my EON Card within the week. According to the teller, the waiting time for the Unionbank EON Card depends on the number of people applying for Uninonbank EON Card. It is good that only few people are applying for Unionbank EON Card that's why I got my card after three days.

Now, I am ready to verify my Paypal account and buy that book.
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Friday, March 25, 2011

My Advice for the Team Azkal

At long last, the game soccer or football is getting attention in the Philippines. Finally, generous sponsors created a soccer team and they named it as the Azkal Soccer Team. The name of the Azkal Soccer Team was obtained from the Tagalog word askal (asong kalye), which is the name given to mutts or dogs of mixed pedigree.

Azkal, as the team is called by their fans, is lead by Phil Younghusband. The team is composed of different soccer players gathered from different parts of the country. Team Azkal defeat the soccer team of Mongolia last February. The Azkal's victory last month over the Mongolians is a sweet victory but it just the first step for their journey towards the World Cup. I believe that it will take many years before the Azkal got the chance to play in the World Cup. Before that, I think that the Azkal should follow these tips first:

1. Stay Out of Showbiz – Team Azkal, especially Phil Younghusband, is being enticed to join showbiz. I advice against it because showbiz demands a lot of time and it may eat up the time devoted for their training. Team Azkal must devote their time to practice because the path to the World Cup is quite hard. They need all their time to catch up with the stronger soccer teams in Southeast Asia.
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Team Azkal Soccer Team
Team Azkal Soccer Team

2. Don't Let Their “Celebrity Status” Get Into Their Heads – members of the Team Azkal are celebrities already and their exposure in the Philippine media increases their fame. Hundreds of fans follow Team Azkal in Twitter and Facebook and many people follow their every move. Fame can easily intoxicate a person's mind and it causes people do rash things. As their fame increases, I hope that Team Azkal focus on their goal and that is to reach the World Cup.

3.  Continue Playing Against Other Soccer Teams  - Playing against other soccer teams of other nations is good for Team Azkal. It helps them to be exposed to various techniques used by various teams around the world. Team Azkal will benefit greatly from this because it help them “know” their enemies in soccer.

4. Continue Promoting Soccer in the Philippines – Like what I said, playing in the World Cup is an elusive goal. It is possible that the current members of Team Azkal may not get the chance to play at the World Cup. With these in mind, the Team Azkal must continue in its role in promoting soccer in the Philippines. Team Azkal must inspire young people to play soccer so that the Philippines will have steady supply of soccer players in the future.
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Team Azkal controversy

5. Don't Get Entangled in Controversies – Team Azkal had been entangled with controversies, specifically with the people in showbiz. Team Azkal got involved with a controversy with Angel Locsin. Also, fans of Team Azkal quarreled with the actress Angelica Panganiban on Twitter. Controversies are distractions and might affect Team Azkal's focus on soccer. I believe that it would be good if Team Azkal stop being involved with controversies.

So, those are my tips for the Team Azkal. I do hope that they replicate their victory over the soccer team of Mongolia. However, Team Azkal's path will go harder as they continue their journey to World Cup. I pray for the success of Team Azkal and may they make soccer as popular as basketball in the Philippines.

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Photos copied from Twitface.net and Philippine Entertainment Portal.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

PHIVOLCS Maps of Marikina Fault Line Affected Areas

PHIVOLCS is calling all owners of buildings and structures located on or near the Marikina Fault, which is now officially named as West Valley Fault, to be prepared as an earthquake may strike along Marikina Fault at any time. According to PHIVOLCS, the latest activity of Marikina Fault occurred at around 200 years ago and the accumulated stress will cause a major tectonic activity.

Yesterday, March 21, there is an earthquake that occurred off Lubang Island. It seems like that there is a rise of occurrence of felt earthquakes around the Philippines. Thus, it is no wonder that PHIVOLCS is anticipating movement of the Marikina Fault.

Due to this, many people are afraid of a major earthquake along Marikina Fault. Thankfully, PHIVOLCS drew maps of Marikina Fault, which shows where the fault lines are. Based on a PHIVOLCS document (Pdf file), Marikina Fault passes through Laguna, Muntinlupa City, Quezon City, Montalban (Rodriguez) Marikina City, San Mateo, Pasig City and Taguig City. Here is the diagram as shown on the document issued by PHIVOLCS:
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Diagram of Marikina Fault Line map
Diagram of Marikina Fault Line map


Here is a rough map showing the general location of Marikina Fault Line in Metro Manila:
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Rough Marikina Fault Line map
Rough map showing the areas affected by Marikina Fault.

Visit PHIVOLCS website to see the maps of areas affected by Marikina Fault. PHIVOLCS has 15 large scale maps, which is helpful in seeing if your home is near the Marikina Fault or not.

Map is obtained from the document, The Marikina Valley Fault System: Active Faulting in Eastern Metro Manila (Pdf file), as posted on PHIVOLCS website.

Also read related post about the PHIVOLCS Tips on what to do before, during and after an earthquake, PHIVOLCS list of fault lines and PHIVOLCS Map of Tsunami Prone Areas.

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Do you have questions about the Marikina Fault Line? You have comments about the earthquakes and how prepared our government for such calamities? Tell me about it by leaving a comment.

Monday, March 21, 2011

PHIVOLCS Map of Tsunami Prone Areas

In the previous post, I talked about PHIVOLCS list of fault lines and maps. Now, related to earthquake is the tsunami. According to PHIVOLCS, tsunami is a series of waves generated by a shallow seated earthquake on the seabed.


Just like what happened to Japan this month, tsunami occurred right after the strong earthquake. According to some reports, the tsunami generated by the earthquake is as fast as a jet plane so that few managed to escape the tsunami.


To help the people in coastal areas, PHIVOLCS collected data and created a map to show tsunami prone-areas in the Philippines. Shown below is a screen grab of Tsunami Prone Area Map from PHIVOLCS.
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To view the copy of PHIVOLCS' map, I suggest that you visit this PHIVOLCS web page.


PHIVOLCS made this map so as to help the Filipino people know if they are threatened by tsunami and so that we can prepare accordingly.


For more information about earthquakes, visit my posts: PHIVOLCS List of Fault Lines and Maps and PHIVOLCS Tips on what to do before, during and after the occurrence of earthquake, and PHIVOLCS Map of areas affected by Marikina Fault.


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Visit my personal-travel blog, Before the Eastern Sunset and read about shark wantan dim sum from PaoTsin.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

WD Elements External Hard Drive

One of the greatest inconveniences that can occur is the sudden crash of our personal computers or laptop. Computers, aside from the functionalities that it offers, serve as the repository of our memories. Computers store the papers that you made in college, the photos of your last birthday celebration or the videos that you made for your report in science. So, when your computer crashes those files that constitute your memories are gone. That is one of my fears when all of my photos are still stored in my home computer. That is why I decided to purchase WD Elements external hard drive to serve as storage for my photos and other important files.

I chose WD Elements external hard drive because it is being used by my American friends in storing valuable data. I believed then that since they trust WD Elements to store valuable data, then it is reliable enough to serve as back-up storage for my files. At least I am correct with that assumption because my WD Elements external hard drive has no malfunction after more than one year of use.
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WD Elements External Hard Drive

What I like with my WD Elements external hard drive is its reliability. For back-up storage, reliability is very important. It is bad if the back-up storage is the one that crashed.

So, if you want to prevent inconvenience and keep your files safe, then I suggest that you back your files up. If you are looking for an external hard drive, I recommend WD Elements.

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Visit Before the Eastern Sunset and read about my first taste of shark wantan dim sum.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Information on Fault Lines and Earthquakes from PHIVOLCS Fault Finder Map

The calamity that occurred in Japan last Friday sparked the attention about the safety of the Philippines about earthquakes and tsunamis. PHIVOLCS and the government assured that the new high-rise buildings around Metro Manila are sound enough to withstand earthquakes. However, many people are still concerned, especially because of the many fault lines around our country.

For those who are looking for a map issued by PHIVOLCS that shows the major fault lines, I suggest that you visit the PHIVOLCS Fault Finder map. The Fault Finder map shows the distribution of active faults and trenches in the Philippines as delineated by PHIVOLCS. The picture below shows the general location of fault lines and trenches. The Fault Finder map of PHIVOLCS is much clearer and interactive so I suggest that you should look at it.
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PHIVOLCS Philippine Fault Line Map
PHIVOLCS Philippine Fault Line Map


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To see the regional distribution of fault lines in the Philippines, I suggest that you also look at the Fault Finder map of PHIVOLCS.

Be prepared for earthquakes and the best preparation is to gain knowledge.

Visit my posts about PHIVOLCS Tips on what to do before, during and after an earthquake, PHIVOLCS Map of Tsunami Prone Areas, and PHIVOLCS Maps of areas affected by Marikina Fault.

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Do you need information about PHIVOLCS? Do you have questions regarding earthquakes and fault line maps? Please tell us by leaving a comment.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

PHIVOLCS Tips on Being Prepared for Earthquakes and Tsunami

People around the world are shocked with what happened to Japan last Friday as an 8.9 magnitude earthquake occurred off the sea from the northeast part of Japan. The earthquake did not cause much damage. It is the tsunami that occurred after the earthquake that caused the damage to property, injuries and deaths. As of this moment, Japanese authorities are still assessing the actual damage and the death toll caused by the tsunami.

Minutes after the earthquake at Japan, PHIVOLCS or the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued Tsunami Bulletins to alert people living in the coastal areas of the north and eastern part of the Philippines of the possible waves of tsunami hitting their area. PHIVOLCS issued the warning based on the information given by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), located on Hawaii. Because of the PHIVOLCS tsunami bulletin, people living in the affected communities were easily mobilized and evacuated. Thankfully, big tsunami waves did not reach the Philippines. PHIVOLCS already removed the tsunami alert for the Philippines and the affected people returned to their communities.

For a long time now, PHIVOLCS had been warning us of the dangers of earthquakes and tsunamis. PHIVOLCS already made many studies regarding the major fault lines, especially the Marikina Fault Line. However, information regarding earthquakes and tsunami is that broadcasted widely. Aside from that, information regarding preparedness to earthquakes and tsunamis are not that widespread. With this in mind, here are the tips on how to prepare for earthquakes as written in the posters issued by PHIVOLCS.

PHIVOLCS Tips: What to Do Before an Earthquake

PHIVOLCS tips before an earthquake


1. The key to effective disaster prevention is planning.

- Know the earthquakes hazards in your area.

-Follow structural design and engineering practices when constructing your house or your buildings.

- Check the soundness of your house. Strengthen or retrofit if necessary.

2. Prepare your homes, workplace and schools.

- Strap or bolt heavy furniture, like cabinets and large appliances, to the wall to prevent it from falling down during an earthquake.

- Check if hanging objects inside your home, like ceiling fans and chandeliers, are stable.

- Store fragile items, harmful chemicals and flammable materials in a secured place.

3. Familiar yourself with the exit routes in your home, workplace and school. Also, know the location of fire extinguishers and first aid kits in your area.

4. Prepare a handy emergency kit that contains canned goods, bottled water, medicines, flashlight, extra batteries and battery-operated radios.

5. Conduct and participate in regular earthquake drills.

In addition to the tips mentioned by PHIVOLCS, other useful tips that I can add are these:

6. Plan with your family about the evacuation place that family members can go to during emergency situations. Planning the evacuation areas will help in locating family members during emergency situations. This will avoid family member getting lost because they can’t be located.

7. Secure vital documents (like birth certificates, land titles, etc.) in one easy-to-carry bag so that it could easily be carried during emergency situations.

PHIVOLCS Tips: What to Do During an Earthquake

PHIVOLCS tips during an earthquake


1. Be calm, be alert and don’t panic.

2. If you are inside a structurally sound building:

- Quickly open the door, if possible.

- Duck under a sturdy table or desk and hold on to it or protect your head.

- Stay away from glass windows and heavy furniture or appliances that may fall down.

3. If you are inside, move to open area.

- Stay away from trees, posts, power lines and structures.

- Stay away from steep slopes and landslide prone areas.

- Move away from the shoreline and move to higher grounds because tsunami may occur after an earthquake.

4. If you are in a moving vehicle, stop and get out. Don’t attempt to cross bridges, underpass, tunnels and flyovers.

PHIVOLCS Tips: What to Do After an Earthquake

PHIVOLCS tips after an earthquake


1. Be prepared of aftershocks. Once the shaking stops, take the fastest and safest way out of the building. Don’t use elevators nor enter damaged buildings.

2. Check yourself and others for injuries.

3. Check for damaged electrical and water lines.

4. Check for spills of chemical, toxic or flammable materials.

5. Extinguish fires in the area to prevent it from spreading.

6. If you need to evacuate your residence, leave a message stating the place where you are going. Also, bring your emergency kit.

7. Keep yourself updated through your battery operated radios.

So, those are the tips written on PHIVOLCS “Earthquake Preparedness Guide.” You can download this guide from PHIVOLCS here (PDF file). Visit PHIVOLCS website for more information about earthquakes and tsunamis.

Visit my other post about PHIVOLCS' list  of fault lines, PHIVOLCS Map of Tsunami Prone Areas and PHIVOLCS map of areas affected by Marikina Fault.