Hollywood Zac Efron will Visit the Philippines for Butanding in Cebu and escape in El Nido?

El Nido Palawan Miniloc Resort

Work, curiosity and leisure trigger the Hollywood Hunk Zac Efron to visit the Philippines. He is once a one time was Hollywood's highest paid teenage actor during his High School Musical days.

Mindoro Island and lovely beaches of the Philippines was always a music in his ears when he's young and his Dad once served under the Merchant Marines and often visited in Mindoro Island.

Recently, the "Bourne Legacy" movie-full scenes were also taken in the Philippines with the Paradise of El Nido Palawan of many fantastic islands as the farewell and escape of the Bourne.

World curiosity of  El Nido Palawan is on the rise after a French reality show were taken in El Nido making Palawan as  one of the most famed and admired paradise as seen in the France TV and North African TV who were following the show.

Before news of his endorsement with local retail giant Penshoppe broke out, Zac Efron's connection to the Philippines with his former "High School Musical" sweetheart, Vanessa Hudgens, is of Filipino descent is already vibrant.

But now, we've actually discovered that the teen heartthrob-turned-Hollywood hunk has more ties to our beautiful, sunny shores than we'd originally thought. Get this: he's actually very, very excited about his trip. And no, that's not just lip service.

Coming straight from the international premiere of his latest movie, "The Paperboy," Zac is set to appear in this year's Penshoppe Fan Conference on Sept. 29, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Gates open at 6PM.

Curiosity about the Philippines

It will be Zac's first time in the Philippines. Initially, he wasn't so keen about doing endorsements. But when he heard that Penshoppe is a Filipino brand, he immediately said yes.

"It's the perfect, perfect excuse to finally visit. I can't take my mind off that country," he was reported to have said.

Why? Because his father, Dave Efron, used to serve under the Merchant Marines and often visited the Philippines in the past (Mindoro in particular). He's also flying in with Zac for the trip.

"Zac has always had this curiosity and/or mystique over the Philippines since he was a kid," said Dave. "The beaches there are lovely and we can't wait to come!"

"Sometimes my father will disappear for weeks 'cause he's enjoying the Philippines so much. So I've always wanted to come and visit," added Zac.

When asked what he'd like to do if he could go on a holiday in the country, Zac had a ready answer.

"I want to see the beaches. I want to swim with the whale sharks, go on a mountain adventure, try the food like adobo and balut, and just hang with my friends over there. Oh, and I also want to learn how to waterski!"

Zac plans to stay for almost a week in the country. He is said to be taking some personal time off to go on the ultimate Philippine holiday of his dreams prior to the FanCon. Do we hear "butanding" calling?

His parting words: "Can't wait to see you guys! I heard I'll meet around 12,000 or more people at the FanCon. I'll see you all soon."

FanCon ticket mechanics (As published by Inquirer)

For a minimum single receipt purchase of ₱800.00, PENSHOPPE customers can get FanCon vouchers from the store manager and exchange them for free tickets at any SM Tickets branch.

The tickets entitle customers to General Admission seats. Receipts worth ₱1,200.00 can be exchanged for Upper Box seats, while total purchases amounting to ₱2,500.00, ₱3,500.00 and ₱5,000.00 entitle customers to Lower Box seats, Patron seats and VIP seats, respectively.

Penshoppe customers are also given the opportunity to choose pass combinations for every single receipt purchase. All ticket categories are on a free seating basis.

Penshoppe branches included in the promo are those located at the SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Ayala Trinoma, SM North Edsa, SM Pampanga, SM Baguio, SM Lucena, SM Batangas, SM Cebu, SM Iloilo, SM Davao and SM Cagayan De Oro as well as 10 new stores at Glorietta, SM Fairview, SM San Lazaro, Robinsons Ermita, Ali Mall, Festival Mall Alabang, SM Marikina, SM Manila, Eastwood, and SM Southmall.

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Thailand Yes to China, Good bye USA after Armament Upgrade – Philippines less Offered

The US's "pivot" strategy towards the Asia-Pacific aims to reinvigorate security alliances with its established partners in the region. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Thailand have long been US treaty allies, affording them privileged access to US armaments and in the case of the Philippines a mutual defense guarantee if attacked by a third party.

The Philippines and Thailand, however, have had decidedly different responses to the US's renewed security engagement with the region. While Manila has warmly welcomed the US's military presence, Bangkok has adopted a hedging strategy to preserve its vibrant ties with China. Washington's ties with Bangkok and Manila are now influenced by two crucial factors: (1) the perception of an existential threat and (2) domestic political and economic interests.

A key strategic hub for American forces, the Philippines has offered the US greater access to its military facilities in exchange for assistance in the modernization of its military. The Philippine government announced on August 24 that it welcomed America's plan to deploy "X-band", a powerful new early warning radar, in Japan and the Philippines. The plan is seen by some as the centerpiece of the US's defense build-up in Asia to counter threats from nuclear North Korea and to contain China's rising military power.

As tensions mount in the South China Sea, there is now a new facet to the US-Philippines alliance, ie China's emergence as an existential threat. The mutual defense treaty, which dates back to 1951, is perceived as a deterrent to China's creeping assertiveness in nearby maritime areas, including the contested Spratly Islands.

Following a naval stand-off between Manila and Beijing in April this year, Washington pledged to triple its military assistance to Manila, deployed two US nuclear-armed submarines to make symbolic port calls at Subic, and sent thousands of American troops and American warships for joint military exercises with their Filipino counterparts.

Thailand has been a US treaty ally since 1954, a designation that was upgraded to major non-NATO ally in 2003 as a reward for Bangkok's cooperation in Washington's global war on terror. Now, with enhanced commercial and defense ties with China, Bangkok is less willing to open its territory to facilitate US strategic rebalancing.

Most notably, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's cabinet decided in June to allow parliament to scrutinize a US NASA request to use U-tapao airbase for atmospheric studies. After opposition lawmakers argued that approval of the request could jeopardize Thailand's vibrant trade ties with China, NASA withdrew its request after the Thais missed a June 26 deadline to respond.

Since the Vietnam War, U-tapao has been used by US aircraft to support military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as humanitarian interventions, including in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. US troops also have special access to U-tapao through the annual Cobra Gold war games held in Thailand and staged with various international actors. NASA initially planned to use the airbase for a six-week climate study but the request was viewed in some quarters as a veiled attempt to spy on China.

Unlike the 1960s and 1970s when China backed communist guerillas in Thailand, Washington and Bangkok no longer have a common security threat to motivate a significant enhancement of their existing alliance. This "threat deficit" has significantly affected US-Thai cooperation in recent years. Though Thailand may be wary of China's perceived growing assertiveness, it nonetheless highly values its robust political and economic relations with Beijing.

While US-Thai strategic relations have arguably stalled, Thailand and China upgraded their ties to a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership" during Yingluck's visit with a high level military delegation to Beijing in April. One reason why Sino-Thai relations are strong is the absence of contentious territorial disputes. (Unlike Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, Thailand has no claim to contested areas in the South China Sea.)

Strategic economics

Thailand's recent strategic behavior has been driven clearly by economic interests. Bangkok has benefitted enormously from China's economic rise. Although the US remains a major investor in Thailand, China is now Thailand's largest export market. Sino-Thai trade was valued at US$64.7 billion in 2011, overshadowing US-Thai trade of $35 billion in the same period.

China has also pledged strong assistance in Thailand's reconstruction and water management projects in the wake of last year's devastating floods. As Thailand benefits from China's soft power diplomacy, it is not surprising that Bangkok has adopted a hedging strategy.

In the Philippines, the US is the largest source of foreign direct investment and second-largest trade partner. In 2011, US-Philippines bilateral trade reached $13.6 billion, slightly higher than the $12.1 billion value of China-Philippines commerce. China's economic muscle flexing has in instances pushed the Philippines closer to the US. When Beijing recently tried to sanction Manila by banning Philippine banana imports, a move that threatened to hit come 200,000 Filipino farmers and weaken exports, the US offered to buy the surplus bananas.

The stagnation of US-Thai defense ties is likewise tied to Thailand's turbulent domestic politics. Since the 2006 military ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a focus on domestic politics has come up at the expense of foreign relations. The opposition Democrat Party claimed that Yingluck would approve the NASA proposal in exchange for granting her exiled, criminally convicted brother Thaksin a visa to travel to the US. While the NASA project was cancelled, Thaksin was nonetheless given a visa, with the caveat that he not travel to Washington, according to press reports.

In the Philippines, domestic politics under Benigno Aquino's administration have been conducive to a vibrant US-Philippines alliance. Most political leaders, apart from left-leaning nationalistic parties, have backed Aquino's efforts to bolster ties with the US to counterbalance China's rising assertiveness in the South China Sea. He has notably made a number of trips to Washington to request stronger strategic cooperation and arms transfers.

Unlike his predecessor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Aquino has appeared to be less receptive to Beijing's dangled commercial incentives. Elected on an anti-corruption platform, Aquino has cancelled certain Chinese-funded projects which were marred by irregularities. His diplomatic balancing is reflective of the national mood: a Social Weather Station survey conducted in the second quarter showed that 55% of Filipinos have little trust in China, representing a record low, while the US notched a public trust rating of 62%.

The convergence and divergence of threat perceptions has determined the depth of US defense cooperation with the Philippines and Thailand as Washington attempts to implement its "pivot" policy in Asia. Local political and economic concerns have dictated how both countries have received Washington's strategic overtures. Whether the split among two of the US's top traditional allies will undermine the "pivot" policy's overall effectiveness will be closely watched and aggravated as much as possible by China.

Asia Times 

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₱2 Billion Project NOAH Philippines – World’s Most Advance Technology

A screenshot demonstrating how Project Noah works in real-time, indicating weather forecasts and water levels at river basins across the Philippine islands

The Philippines is no stranger to disasters. Floods, earthquakes, volcanoes and typhoons frequently ravage the archipelago, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the work.

But now a new plan aptly dubbed Project NOAH – National Operational Assessment of Hazards – intends to give Filipinos a better chance of overcoming these calamities by providing real-time access to weather information and updating maps, some of which date back to the 1960s.

Spearheaded by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology, the ₱2 billion pesos, or $48 million US Dollar , project was launched in July 2012. Automated rain gauges first were installed in river basis around the country, allowing scientists and other experts to track rainfall and river water levels in real time. This month, the project will roll out LIDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, technology which allows for high-resolution 3D mapping of the country's topography – something which scientists say will help the Philippines' better prepare for potential disasters. The entire country is expected to be digitally mapped within two years, according to scientists running the project.

"Using the best technology available is the only way to minimize casualties," said Mahar Lagmay, executive director of Project Noah and a scientist at the University of the Philippines in Manila. "We need to develop a culture of preparedness and safety.

He also added that the project will likely draw on newly-developed "super wifi" technology to get around some necessary infrastructural upgrades still lacking in the Philippines.

Just weeks after Project Noah was launched by the country's president Benigno Aquino III, the system was quickly tested when monsoon winds and rain dumped unusually heavy rainfall on critical cities in the Philippines, including Manila. The torrential rains caused the most severe floods seen since Tropical Storm Ketsana in 2009 which left the capital submerged for days.

Initial assessments of the August floods showed that better tracking and disaster response times helped to limit the death toll to just over 100 people, compared to over 700 during 2009's floods. A report from the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, said local governments were "managing the situations well", and that that follow-up relief operation was put into action quickly. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the population displaced by the floods reduced by 10% in a week – a far better record than during Typhoon Ketsana, whose impact lasted months though similar levels of rainfall were recorded, according to Project Noah's tracking maps.

Mr. Lagmay added that the improved maps could also serve another practical purpose – as a tool for urban planning and development, crucial for private sector investors that are starting to bet big on increased domestic spending in the country including in malls and on real estate. The project has some private sector partners – including San Miguel Corp SMC.PH's Petron oil refinery, Philippine telcos Smart Communications Inc TEL.PH, SUN Cellular and Globe Communications though none of them have pledged funding as yet. Smart Communications, for example, has been working to set up free call stations at disaster evacuation centers with charging facilities and internet provisions and opens SMS channels to receive donations during crisis situations.

It is becoming increasingly important for Asian countries to adopt modern disaster relief strategies in the decades to come, experts say. According to a report from the Asian Development Bank, a projected 410 million urban Asians are at risk of coastal flooding in the next decade, with another 350 million at risk of inland flooding – similar to that experienced by Bangkok last year, and Manila this August.

Observers note that social media is an important component in Project Noah's success. Comscore ranks the country the world's biggest market for Facebook FB, with more than 90% of its online population using the social networking tool, with an overall internet penetration rate of about 33% of its 100 million people. Representatives from Global Systems Mobile, the system on which many cellular phone networks function, are examining the Philippines to see how mobile phones can help bolster early warning networks elsewhere.

Twitter provided some of the fastest alerts about a 7.6 magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of the Philippines last month. And analysts say social media will become even more useful as radio stations and other broadcast media increasingly rely on the Internet for information.

The Wall Street Journal 

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