Wednesday, August 31, 2011

There is Jollitown Online?

Jollitown is the popular children-oriented TV show that stars Jollibee and his friends. It is being aired every Sunday morning at ABS-CBN.

I was surprised to discover that Jollitown can not only be found on TV but is also present in the Internet. Yes, Jollitown has an online game and I am sure that certified Jollitown fanatics will like it because it allows them to play with Jollibee, Twirlie, Hetty, Popo and Yum.

Joining Jollitown is easy. All you have to do is visit the Jollitown website and fill up the sign up form.  At Jollitown, you can create your Jollitown avatar and you can also build a house for your avatar. The goal of the Jollitown game is to make your avatar happy.
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Jollitown of Jollibee
The online land of Jollitown
A “happiness meter” is located at the lower part of the Jollitown screen. Jollitown players need to play games every day to keep their Jollitown avatar happy. Some of the games in Jollitown are the Fun Tram and the Aqua Quest.
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Jollitown game: Fun Tram
Jollitown game: Fun Tram.
Aside from making your Jollitown avatar happy, playing games also allows you to get Jollitown Points. These points can be used to buy items for your Jollitown avatar like clothes and furniture for its home. I thought that the Jollitown Points can be used to buy Jollibee items in the real world. Too bad that that is not the case.

Jollitown is a good place for certified Jollibee kids and fans of the Jollitown TV show. So, if you are a Jollitown fan or have a child who is a Jollibee fan then I recommend Jollitown for you or your kid. Enjoy playing!

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Visit Before the Eastern Sunset and read seven random things about me.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Chowking Number

Are you hungry and want to have Chinese dish quickly? Well, that only means that you are craving for a Chowking meal. You can order through online Chowking delivery or you just dial the Chowking number.

The Chowking number is:
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Chowking number

Don't forget that number because your favorite Chowking meals will be delivered right at your doorsteps just by dialing that number.

If you are a more techie-type of person, then I suggest that you order using online Chowking delivery. Ordering through online Chowking delivery allows you to pick the Chowking meals that you want online.

However, if you don't an Internet or if you prefer ordering through telephone, then it is better that you dial the Chowking number:
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Chowking number

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Cebu Pacific Says: Good Buy August

The month of August is ending but Cebu Pacific still has surprises up its sleeves. Presenting the latest Cebu Pacific promo fares for the last days of August.

Available Cebu Pacific promo fares include 288 pesos promo for flight from Davao to Cagayan de Oro. 488 pesos promo fare is also available for flights between Manila and Cagayan de Oro. These two Cebu Pacific promo fares are for October 1 to November 30, 2011 travel dates.

488 pesos seat sales are also offered for flights from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro or Zamboanga, Davao to Iloilo or Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro to Iloilo, and Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi. 688 pesos Cebu Pacific promo fares are available for flights from Manila to Ozamiz, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos or Zamboanga; and Cebu to General Santos.

Cebu Pacific also offers discounted fares for international flights. Cebu to Hongkong flights has seat sale of 888 pesos. 1,299 pesos Cebu Pacific promo fares are also available for flights from Manila to Ho Chi Minh, Kota Kinabalu or Singapore; and Cebu or Clark to Singapore.

Seat sale period is up to August 28, 2011 or until seat sales last. Travel period for the seat sales is from October 1 to December 31, 2011.

Visit Cebu Pacific website for more information. Also read about some tips on how to avail Cebu Pacific promo fares.

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Visit Before the Eastern Sunset and read about CBD Plaza Hotel in Naga City.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Order Online from Chowking Delivery

Craving for Chowking halo-halo? Are you thinking of Chowking’s Chinese-style chicken? Do you want to eat at Chowking but you are trapped inside your cubicle and you have no one to face but your office computer? Fret no more because Chowking made a convenient option for you to eat meals from Chowking menu even if you are in the office. That option is the online Chowking delivery.

Ordering through online Chowking delivery can be done in three easy steps. First step is to choose the food that you want to order on the Chowking menu available on their website. Clicking any of the food categories on the top of the Chowking homepage will bring you to a new webpage.
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online Chowking delivery - Chao Fan
I chose Chowking’s Chao Fan.
The next step is for you to load up your “food tray” by clicking on the “Select Options” button of your desired item. Once you finished loading up your “food tray,” you are now ready to for check out and wait for your meals to come to your office.

Online Chowking delivery accepts orders from 8 AM to 9 PM only. However, you can still order Chowking meals beyond those hours by dialing 9-8888. Chowking delivery is only available in Metro Manila, excluding Malabon and Navotas areas.

What are you waiting for? Visit Chowking website now.

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Monday, August 22, 2011

My Favorites on Chowking Menu

My previous boss on my first job is a great fan of Chowking. Whenever we go out of the office for fieldworks, my boss always chose to eat at Chowking to eat his favorite congee with century egg. I am not a fan of Chowking's congee because I just consider it as expensive regular “lugaw.” So, whenever we eat out at Chowking, I usually order one of Chowking's noodles.

Chowking is a fast food restaurant that offers Chinese dishes. Siomai, siopao and Chinese noodles are few of the food items that can be found on the Chowking menu. Of the many items being offered by Chowking menu, I only have three favorites and these are:

1. Chowking Halo-halo

Chowking menu - halo-halo
(Source: Chowking website)

Chowking halo-halo is the most popular dessert on the Chowking menu although it is more of a Filipino dessert than a Chinese one. What I like about Chowking's halo-halo is its being kumpledos rekados (complete in ingredients) because this halo-halo has all the usual toppings like sweet beans, nata de coco, kaong, sweetened banana and leche flan plus; one scoop of ice cream.

2. Chowking Beef Noodles

Chowking menu - beef noodles
Chowking Beef Wanton Noodles
I said in a previous post that Chowking's noodles are like the thicker version of the Lucky Me! Noodles. Chowking's beef noodle is a tasty noodle soup that has chunks of beef meat on it. The taste of this noodle soup is quite OK and I order it whenever I want to have a “masabaw” (soupy) meal.

3. Chinese-style Chicken

Chowking menu - Chinese-style chicken

Chowking's Chinese-style Chicken is the latest item on the Chowking menu. Chowking's TV commercial brags that many people like their Chinese-style chicken and I believe that that it's true. Chowking's Chinese-style chicken is crunchy and tasty. It is definitely better than the fried chicken of Jollibee and McDonalds.

These are three of my favorite Chowking meals. I am not a fan of Chowking's congee and chao fan (fried rice) because my mother can cook better tasting lugaw and sinangag at home. So, if you will ever see me eat at Chowking, expect that you will see me eat any of these three items from the Chowking menu.

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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Choose from Jollibee Menu Online

There is no doubt that Jollibee is the number one fast food restaurant in the Philippines. The proof of this is the fact that Jollibee's name and the giant red bee mascot is already etched in the Filipino culture. Ask a a kid in the Philippines what is his favorite restaurant and the usual answer will be “Jollibee.” Due to its popularity, Jollibee created an online store where customers can choose and order their favorite “Langhap Sarap” meals. This online store is the Jollibee Delivery.com.
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Jollibee online delivery - Jollibee menu

Jollibee Delivery.com makes it easier for customers to choose the meal that they want to order. The online store showcases all the items available in the Jollibee menu. Customers can view all items from Jollibee value meals to kiddie meals with toy. Everything is just few clicks away, which is quite different when ordering via the Jollibee hotline that compels customers to view Jollibee brochures (if they have any) or ask the Jollibee employee at the other end of the line.
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Jolibee Delivery.com procedures - Jollibee menu
Jollibee online delivery procedures.

There are three easy steps when using Jollibee Delivery.com First is to view the online Jollibee menu and choose the items that you want to order. Then click on the “Add to Cart” button located below the item that you want to order. Submit the contents of your “cart” and just wait for Jollibee to deliver your meal right at your doorstep. Be reminded that Jollibee only delivers for 200 pesos minimum order. Jollibee also charge 10% for deliveries. You can cancel your order within 5 minutes after ordering.

Jollibee Delivery.com accepts order from Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cavite and Cebu. If Jollibee Delivery.com is not available in your place, then you can still order using the Jollibee hotline.

Read about my favorite Jollibee items to help you decide what to order on Jollibee Delivery.com.

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Visit Before the Eastern Sunset and read about my experience on traveling by Philtranco bus.

Monday, August 15, 2011

What Team Azkal can Learn from the Philippine Dragonboat Team

Team Azkal went out of the media spotlight after they were defeated by the Kuwaitis last July. Their defeat in the hands of Kuwaitis spelled the end of their fight in the FIFA qualifying rounds and also ended them being hounded by the media and paparazzi. The vacuum that was left by the Team Azkal was now filled by the Philippine Dragonboat Federation Team that recently won gold medals in a competition in America.

Is the Team Azkal disheartened because of their defeat? Will they be less motivated to practice just because the media hype died down? These are some questions that are being ask by many people now that the team will be out of the public's short-term memory. The loss of public attention should not put the Team Azkal down. What the team must do is to look at the Philippine Dragonboat Team as their inspiration to continue what they started.

Team Azkal can learn many things from the Philippine Dragonboat Team and here are some of them:

1. Practice makes a strong team – some “sports analysts” commented that Team Azkal still lacks unity and that's one reason why Azkals were defeated by the seasoned Kuwaiti soccer players. This is understandable because the Team Azkal was just newly established. The Azkals should look at the Philippine Dragonboat Team as example for team unity. The paddlers became victorious becausde they were able to row their boat as if they are just one person. They were able to achieve this unity because their continuous practice made them experience hardships together, thus creating a strong bond between members. Team Azkal should also strengthen the bond between team members and they can only have achieve this by following the formula of the Philippine Dragonboat Team. 

2. Continue playing even if there is no media hype – Team Azkal got the attention of the Philippine media the moment that their team was established. Reporters followed the Azkals 24 hours a day and most of their antics are shown on TV. Some of the Azkals also got tangled up with showbiz controversies that also boosted the team's popularity. What will happen to the Azkals now that the media hype is dead? The answer is that they shouldn't allow it to affect them and look for the paddlers for inspiration. The Philippine Dragonboat Team practiced and fought in many competitions without any getting any media attention. The absence of media attention and public recognition might have disheartened the paddlers but that did not prevent them from moving forward.

3. Don't let the government destroy their motivation – The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) doesn't recognize the Philippine Dragonboat Team. Due to this, the paddlers never expect to receive any form of support from the Philippine government. This does not stop the paddlers to continue practicing and participating in various competitions. Team Azkal should also accept the fact that the Philippine government is not reliable when it comes to financial and even moral support.

These are few of the lessons that the Team Azkal can learn from the Philippine Dragonboat Team. I hope that the Azkals will continue to persevere even if they are not that popular anymore. What the team will experience in the next years was also experienced by the paddlers. Azkals should continue playing and follow the example of the paddlers so they will surely succeed in their goal to play in FIFA.

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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Be SmArt! Visit the 2011 Korea Electronics Show

Korea's biggest electronics show is back and ready to show to the whole world the best products that  the Electronics Industry from 30 different countries have to offer.  The 42nd Korea Electronics Show has a theme, “Be SmArt!” and will showcase over 1,000 companies.

As the 4th ranking country in electronics today, Korea's stake in the Electronics Industry is high. In the malls here in the Philippines, I always see gadgets and electronic products that came from Korea. Cellular phones, computers, electronic appliances, and other innovative gadgets are being imported by Korea's electronics industry. The Korea Electronics Show (KES) that is being held regularly in Korea is a proof of the electronics industry's great importance, not only in Korea but also in the whole world.

The Korea Electronics Show last year is a huge success. About 1,823 representative buyers of IT industries from 23 nations participated in the 2010 Korea Electronics Show. LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Merck and other well established companies were also present. This year's Korea Electronics Show is envisioned to be better and more successful.

The 2011 Korea Electronics Show will be held from October 12, 2011 to October 15, 2011 in Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX), located in Gyeonggi Province. The show is hosted by Korea Ministry of Knowledge Economy and organized by Korea Electronics Association. KES 2011 have 800 exhibitors, 200 of which are foreign exhibitors.

So, if you are looking for the best electronic gadget and products, I highly suggest that you Visit the Korea Electronics Show 2011. Visit them at www.kes.org
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Visit the Korea Electronic Show website. You can also follow them on these social networking sites:

KES Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/kes.org

KES Official Twitter: http://twitter.com/kes_info

Monday, August 8, 2011

How PHIVOLCS Measure the Strength of Earthquakes

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) is the government agency that deals with tectonic and volcanic activities in the Philippines. One of the major concerns of this government agency is the monitoring of earthquakes that affects the country.

The Philippines is located at the rim of the Pacific Ring of Fire and the country experiences mild earthquakes every day because of this. With the many earthquakes that rock the country every day, how does PHIVOLCS determine if the earthquake is destructive or not? The answer to that is the PEIS.

PEIS stands for PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale. It measures how the earthquake is felt in an area. The PEIS is felt on the relative effect of the earthquake to people, structures, objects and surroundings. The scale starts from Intensity I, which is the weakest, to Intensity X, which is the strongest.

Here is the scale as established by PHIVOLCS on PEIS:

Intensity I: Scarcely Perceptible.

Intensity II: Slightly Felt

Intensity III: Weak

Intensity IV: Moderately Strong

Intensity V: Strong

Intensity VI: Very Strong

Intensity VII: Destructive

Intensity VIII: Very Destructive

Intensity IX: Devastating

Intensity X: Completely Devastating

Those are the complete list for the PEIS. For description of each intensity scale of the PEIS, please visit the PHIVOLCS website.


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Saturday, August 6, 2011

ECOTRADE: Leading the Way for Green Technology in Asia

The world is now facing a grave situation that is caused by the abuse against the environment in the past century. We are now living in a planet were large swaths of forests were gone; the seas are poisoned by oil spill and trash; and the air is dark because of smoke and other pollutants. Fortunately, more and more people are waking up to this reality and are now working to prevent further damage to our environment. The result of this awakening is the rise of Green Technology, which is a technology that takes into account the preservation of the environment.

Korea is one of the nations that leads the world in promoting Green Technology. The Korea Environmental Technology and Industry Institute (KEITI) initiated the Premier Environmental B2B Marketplace or ECOTRADE. KEITI is the Korean institute that is tasked to promote green technology, not only in Korea, but also for the whole world.

The ECOTRADE is the best venue where buyers and sellers of environment-friendly products meet. Through the ECOTRADE, buyers will be exposed to the latest and the best environment-friendly products from Korea.

In the ECOTRADE, buyers will find environment-friendly products that are certified not only by KEITI but also by world-renowned and trusted certifying organizations like the ISO and EU. Aside from that, KEITI certifies seller's products with “V” and “Eco Trust/Pro” marks to show that the products are guaranteed by the institute. Buyers will also find it easy to buy ECOTRADE products because the process was simplified and sign-up is not required.

Sellers will also reap great benefits by joining ECOTRADE. The benefits include e-Catalogues; exposure to clients from all over the world; latest information on market trends on green industry and technology; and connection with ECPLAZA.net, which is among the biggest B2B trade marketplaces in the world.

So, what are you waiting for? Go and visit the ECOTRADE website for more information.

Also visit the following ECOTRADE links:

ECOTRADE Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/ecotrade

ECOTRADE YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ecotrade2010

The ECOTRADE is a good way of promoting green technology. I do hope that my country also host a similar activity like the ECOTRADE.

Friday, August 5, 2011

PHIVOLCS Liquefaction Susceptibility Map

In the previous post, I talked about the dangers of landslides that usually occur during earthquakes. Because of the dangers of landslides, PHIVOLCS created Earthquake-induced Landslide Susceptibility maps to help the public know which laces in the Philippines are under the risk of landslide. Another effect that may result from earthquake is liquefaction.

Liquefaction is a phenomenon where the soil that has mixture of liquid, which the usual example is underground water, act like a liquid because of intense shaking caused by earthquakes. Liquefaction usually occurs in places that have During an earthquake, the soil became separated because of shaking and water will come in to fill the gaps between soil particles. Because of this, soil will act like a fluid and will cause the structures on it to sink. Liquefaction usually occurs on areas where the ground is saturated with groundwater or salt water coming from the sea.

The effect of liquefaction is grave, that's why PHIVOLCS created the Liquefaction Susceptibility Map. However, unlike the other maps from PHIVOLCS, Liquefaction Susceptibility Map has only two maps. One is a general map that covers the whole Philippines. The other Liquefaction Susceptibility Map covers Metro Manila and vicinity.
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Metro Manila Liquefaction Susceptibility Map created by PHIVOLCS
Metro Manila Liquefaction Susceptibility Map.

According to PHIVOLCS map, the areas in Metro Manila that are high risk from liquefaction are the City of Manila and the areas in Pasig City located beside Laguna Lake. Areas that have moderate risk from liquefaction are areas beside the Manila Bay, Laguna Lake and Marikina River. Areas on “higher” elevation, like Quezon City, have low risk of experiencing liquefaction.

Soil liquefaction is an important factor to consider when buying real estate properties. You must ensure that the land that you are buying is safe from this phenomenon. If you are already owning a lot located on an area that is at risk from liquefaction, then you must make sure that the house or structure that you are building on it are “liquefaction-proof.”

For more information, see the liquefaction susceptibility maps on PHIVOLCS website.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

PHIVOLCS Landslide Susceptibility Maps

The Philippines is still waiting for the so-called “big one,” which is a strong earthquake that will be generated by the long-overdue Marikina Fault. PHIVOLCS is doing the necessary preparations for earthquakes. The agency also reminds the public to be prepared.

Aside from the earthquake, PHIVOLCS is also reminding the people about the possibility of landslides during and after an earthquake occurred. As a part of preparation schemes, PHIVOLCS prepared the “Earthquake-triggered Landslide Susceptibility Map.” This map shows how susceptible an area in the Philippines are from landslides.

Based on the overview map that is available on the PHIVOLCS website, the areas that are high risk for earthquake-triggered landslide are mountainous areas like the Cordilleras.
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PHIVOLCS earthquake-induced landslide susceptibility map

View the “Earthquake-triggered Landslide Susceptibility Map” on PHIVOLCS website.

The map is shaded in different colors and every color has different meanings. The gray shade means that the area is not susceptible to earthquake-triggered landslide. Areas in green shade means that at risk to landslide at 0.3 MMI-IX and PEIS-VIII. Areas in orange shade are at risk from landslide at 0.15 MMI-VIII and PEIS-VIII. Areas in magenta are at risk from landslide at 0.07 MMI-VII and PEIS-VII. Lastly, areas in red shade are at risk from landslide at 0.04 MMI-VI and PEIS-VI.

MMI stands for Modified Mercali while PEIS stands for PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale.

Aside from the overview map, PHIVOLCS also has Regional Maps of the “Earthquake-triggered Landslides Susceptibility Map” for regional and better view of the landslide prone areas.

The “Earthquake-triggered Landslide Susceptibility Map” and regional maps can be downloaded on PHIVOLCS website.

Read related posts about PHIVOLCS Tips on what to do before, during and after an earthquake.

Other related posts are:




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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Avast Anti-Virus Software

The laptop that I have been using right now suffered a grave infection of computer virus. The condition of my laptop gave me no choice but to reformat the hard drive and re-install the operating system. Reformatting my laptop is a hassle because I also had to to re-install other software that I am using for my work. Also, some of the files in my laptop can't be recovered and were deleted together with the virus.

The reason why my laptop contracted deadly computer virus is that it doesn't have any anti-virus software. Having an anti-virus software is vital because it protects the laptop and computer from the attacks of virus, Trojan horse, malwares and other malicious programs. However, I can't afford the expensive anti-virus software so I had to make-do with the free versions of anti-virus software. I both use Avira Anti-Virus and AVG on my office computer. They work in tandem in my office computer so that if a virus can't be detected by Avira then it can be detected by AVG, and vice versa.

I downloaded Avira and AVG from the Internet for my laptop. Unfortunately, errors keep on cropping up whenever I install both anti-virus software. My operating system (OS) is Windows XP, which is the same OS as in my office computer. I can't find the reason why Avira and AVG keep on having installation errors. I also tried Panda Cloud Anti-Virus but it also have installation errors.

I discovered Avast while I search the Internet for solutions on the installation errors. A comment in a forum said that Avast is better than Avira because it doesn't have installation issues. The comment is correct and now my laptop is enjoying the benefits of Avast Anti-Virus.
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Avast Interface

The interface of Avast Anti-Virus is almost similar to Avira when it comes to being user friendly. Features that are not present on Avira is the AutoSandbox feature. This feature of Avast forces suspicious files and programs to run inside the anti-virus software, thus protecting the OS and files from malicious files and programs. I encountered the AutoSandbox when I used the TDK Flash Lock software.

Just like AVG, Avast also rates and scan websites that I visited while surfing the Internet. It automatically blocks suspicious websites and pages. I encountered this feature when I visited a page on Mang Inasal's website. I don't know if I will get annoyed by this feature of Avast in the future, but for now I am thankful that this feature protects my laptop from suspicious websites.
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Avast blocked a malicious website
Malicious URL blocked by Avast.

What I like the most with Avast is that it automatically updates its virus definition. In Avira, I had to manually update the software, which I usually forgot to do. Avast, on the other hand, updates the software whenever the computer connects to the Internet.
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Avast Updates while I watch YouTube video
Avast updated automatically while I watch YouTube videos.

Of the four Anti-Virus software that I used, I place Avast in the first place, followed by Avira, AVG and Norton.

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Visit Before the Eastern Sunset and read my review of Mang Inasal restaurant.