By Eric Leister, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist

The peak of the annual Lyrid meteor shower is set to occur Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Coinciding with Earth Day on April 22, the event will feature roughly 20 meteors per hour during its peak.

“This event is the most significant meteor shower since January,” said AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel.

If you are unable to view the event due to the weather or other plans, both Friday night and Sunday night will still bring a high number of meteors per hour.

Viewing this weekend’s meteor shower will be easy for stargazers of all ages and will not require the use of binoculars or a telescope.

“The shower will be best viewed after midnight, when the radiant is highest in the sky. “ Samuhel said.

To maximize the number of meteors able to be seen, onlookers should head to a dark area where light pollution is minimal.

“The moon will set around midnight on the peak night, making viewing conditions much better during the overnight hours,” Samuhel said.

Once the moon sets, the darker skies will make it easier to spot some of the fainter meteors.

Of course, the weather will also play a key factor in viewing the meteors, as clouds can partially or fully obscure the night sky.

A large storm moving across China will produce plenty of clouds across much of the country, which will also stream into some neighboring countries.

The best viewing conditions are expected across Japan, Southeast Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.

These areas can expect little to no cloud cover and comfortable temperatures overnight.

Viewing conditions will worsen across South Korea and Japan on Sunday night as the storm from China moves eastward with plenty of clouds and the chance for rain.

Another storm will bring poor viewing at times to areas from eastern Turkey into Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan from Friday into Sunday night.

Source: www.accuweather.com

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Japan-based real estate company, List Group, is heavily investing in real estate development projects in the Philippines, including a large-scale development project in Subic Bay and Boracay Island.

A signing ceremony with President Rodrigo Duterte was conducted as early as October 2017 to solidify the plans of the List Group.

“The List Group, including our newly opened Philippine-arm of List Sotheby’s International Realty, wants to contribute to the regional activities and economic development of the Philippines through the synergy of our investments and the marketing efforts of our global network,” said Hitashi Katami, List Group representative.

List Group will contribute to the regional activity and economic development of the Philippines through the synergy of marketing efforts and various investment projects.

The Philippine arm of the real estate brokerage and listing firm List Sotheby’s International Realty will be the program manager, undertaking the leasing and sale of the properties in the proposed development. List Sotheby’s International Realty opened its Philippine office in 2017.

A former US Naval base 81 kilometers northwest of Manila, Subic Bay is a favorite vacation hub among Filipinos and foreign tourists due to its highly diverse experiential offerings. The master-planned naval base is being revitalized by the government to become a financial center for the area. Considered as one of the most strategic bays in the South China Sea, Subic Bay is being highlighted as a free trade area to attract multinational companies and expand trade. Its close proximity to the Clark International Airport, a mere hour drive, makes it an exciting spot for investors.

Subic Bay is one of the few locations in the country that has been designated as a special economic zone – offering special taxation schemes for regional headquarters and manufacturing plants.

The plans of the List Group for Boracay will include luxury condominiums in partnership with local developers. Boracay is scheduled to undergo a six-month rehabilitation period that will allow government to implement infrastructure projects to alleviate the environmental impact of tourists on the world-renowned island.

List Sotheby’s International Realty has offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Hawaii and is part of the global network of List Group.

Source: businessmirror.com.ph

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Photo Credits to spot.ph

Excellent news for anyone who embraces whimsy as a way of life: Unicorn Island is real, and you can actually go there. Part of the giant floating playground known as the Inflatable Island, Unicorn Island is in the Philippines; it’s located on the Subic Bay in the Zambales province. And now that I know it exists, I have never wanted to visit anywhere else this much in my life.

The Inflatable Island is a relatively new attraction; it first opened at the beginning of April 2017 (that is, just about a year ago), billing itself as “the biggest floating playground in Asia.” At the time, it covered 3,400 square meters (about square feet 36,597), or an area roughly the size of eight basketball courts placed next to each other. As you might imagine, there was plenty to do spread out across that space; the main map included 15 inflatable, floating obstacles ranging from a wobbly bridge to a “human launcher” (yes, really), all connected with pathways made from more inflatables.

Now, though, Inflatable Island covers over 4,100 square meters, or around 44,132 square feet — all thanks to the Unicorn Island expansion. In addition to all the obstacles that already existed on the main Inflatable Island, Unicorn Island, which just opened, adds another six obstacles to the list: Baba’s Super Slide, Slippery Slopes, the Rainbow Walk, Mini Jump and Fly, Climby the Seaunicorn (which looks kind of like a giant inflatable narwhal) and the Wavy Dinosaur. It’s located in the northeast quadrant of the playground, separate from the main Inflatable Island, but easily swimmable from it. Unicorn Island is also a little closer to the shore, as you can see in this image from Instagrammer Daryll Sallan.

Source: daryllcs/Instagram

For the curious, here’s an aerial view of all the inflatables:

Source: inflatableisland/Instagram

The big blue thing to the left of the Rainbow Walk is something called the “Floating Cinema.” I’m not sure exactly what’s showing on the screen, but to be honest, that’s kind of secondary. I’m still too busy marveling at the fact that there is a FLOATING CINEMA OFF THE COAST OF A PLACE CALLED UNICORN ISLAND.

Lest you worry that the obstacles on Inflatable Island aren’t challenging enough to make it worth it… well, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Indeed, when blogger and vlogger Aileen Adalid visited the place with her friends shortly after it opened, she found that the original map was actually too difficult for her to complete. She said she still had loads of fun, though — and I suspect that Unicorn Island’s smaller scale might make it a little friendlier for the less athletically inclined. (Me. I’m talking about me.)

The Bali Lounge, by the way, is no longer the rainbow-hued hangout spot it was when Inflatable Island first opened; now it’s the Pink Bali Lounge. The concept is still the same — it’s a place to relax on the beach and grab some food and drinks (no outside food or beverages are allowed, so here’s where you go if you get peckish while you’re exploring Inflatable Island) — but the lounge chairs and umbrellas are all decked out in shades of pink, purple, and fuchsia instead of in all the colors of the rainbow. Between the décor in the lounge and the general unicorn theme, Inflatable Island is really leaning into the millennial demographic right now:

Source: inflatableisland/Instagram

Want to visit Inflatable Island? Good news: Once you get to the Philippines, it’s pretty affordable. As of this writing, prices range from P499, or about $9.50, for a one-hour slot to P899, or a little over $17, for a full day; you can also get discounts for full-day, half-day, and two-hour passes if you book online in advance. Additionally, beach-only passes are available for people with disabilities, senior citizens, and/or 30 percent of your party (so, if you’re a group of three and none of you have disabilities or qualify as a senior citizen, one of you can get a beach-only pass if that’s your jam) — although not that, according to the Inflatable Island FAQ, beach passes aren’t a guarantee; they “can get sold out at anytime,” apparently.

Since Inflatable Island is located right off the shore, the water doesn’t go terribly deep; it ranges for four feet to 15 feet, though, so life vests are required, and it’s recommended that anyone who wants to visit knows how to swim. There are life guards on duty at all times, though, and life jackets are provided for the island itself, paddle boarding, and other water activities (although not for the swimming beach).

Source: inflatableisland/Instagram

Source: inflatableisland/Instagram

There are, of course, a few stipulations for use, according to the Inflatable Island FAQ: You’ve got to be at least three feet tall to explore the Inflatable Island; kids between three and four feet tall require a 1:1 kid-to-adult ratio; and you can’t wear any jewelry, clothing with zippers or buttons, or other sharp items while you’re bouncing along. (Nothing kills an island made of inflatables like a puncture from an errant earring.) Other than that, though, you can wear just about anything; swimsuits are the obvious choice, although Inflatable Island recommends donning rash guards and swim leggings as well. When you’re on the shore, you can wear whatever you like.

Source: inflatableisland/Instagram

Aileen Adalid has plenty of info on how to get there, where to stay, and other useful travel tips for visitors to the Inflatable Island; additionally, Inflatable Island’s own website has just about everything you need to know on it (including the fact that you can have a birthday party there if you want to). If you go, I just have one request: Take me with you!

Source: www.bustle.com

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Various shipping lines and logistics companies have selected Subic Freeport Zone as one of the gateways into the Philippines in large part due to Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC)’s efficient management of New Container Terminals (NCT) 1&2 in the Subic Freeport Zone.

BUSY PORT – Hauling trucks and reach stackers move some of the container vans in Subic Bay Freeport at the New Container Terminal-1 in Subic Bay Freeport.

MCC Transport, a Singapore-based cargo-shipping specialist for the Maersk Group, the largest container ship and supply vessel operator in the world, utilized SBITC terminals in December 2014 to increase its presence in the Central and Northern Luzon market. MCC Transport provides feeder services for a wide range of regional and global beneficial cargo owners and manages all Intra-Asia containerized cargo for the Maersk Group.

“Since our partnership began, SBITC has become one of the key drivers in expanding our footprint in the Philippine market. The terminal is an excellent alternative gateway to Manila, and through a flexible approach and deep commercial understanding of SBITC’s management, we see positive developments in our efforts to boost volumes into and out of Subic,” said MCC in the Philippines.

Hong Kong-based SITC International Holdings Co., Ltd., another leading shipping logistics company in the intra-Asia area have also expanded and included the Subic Freeport Zone as a gateway due to SBITC’s efficiency and quality in their cargo and container handling services.

SITC Container Lines stated that SBITC contributed to the company’s success in tapping the Filipino market by opening opportunities for their clients from Northern Luzon to lessen costs in delivering products to their target market. SITC shipped a significant volume of cargo last year and is now looking to expand its trade route this year in order to connect North and Central Luzon clients in Subic to major markets in Asia.

On the other hand, Taiwanese container transportation and shipping company Evergreen Line, has also partnered with SBITC in April last year. Since its partnership, the shipping company is looking to continue its engagement with SBITC.

“We are now focused on targeting our VIP clients to use Subic port and are also working on the second sling in Subic in 2018,” said Evergreen Shipping Agency Philippines Corporation.

SBITC strategically serves the industries within the Freeport zone as well as Northern and Central Luzon. Subic Bay Freeport Zone continues to be the ideal port in the business centers of Pampanga, Bataan, Clark and Tarlac and has now included inter-island Philippine barge service to connect customers from Palawan to Mindanao to the Visayas with a convenient transshipment port that has access to the rest of the world.

“We are committed to providing quality services to our partners and maintaining their trust. We want to help them reach potential customers in Northern and Central Luzon. SBITC is more than willing to work hand in hand with our partners in helping their clients tap the Filipino market,” said Roberto Locsin, SBITC president.

Aside from managing NCT 1&2, SBITC offers cargo handling services for TEU and 40-foot equivalent unit (FEU) container vans, as well as 45-foot boxes for full container load and specialized cargo. It also offers a One-Stop Shop (OSS) to facilitate the completion of all required documentation with the SBMA Seaport Authority and Subic BOC under one convenient location inside the terminal so that businesses can easily complete their transactions all within the Freeport Zone.

SBITC, an ICTSI company, is a common-user, multi-purpose terminal, providing on and off-dock marine port cargo and container handling services. It is a leader in global port management due to its fast, reliable, and cost-efficient system implemented to its ports in the Subic Freeport Area.

Source: business.mb.com.ph

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ROYAL Australian Navy’s HMAS ships Anzac, Toowoomba and Success have just completed concurrent port visits to Malaysia and the Philippines, as part of a three-month southeast Asia deployment.

SUCCESSFUL EXERCISE: Leading Seaman Maritime Logistics Gemma Stratton, Support Phoebe Evans, Electronics Technician William Gilbert and Electronic Technician James Durrington prepare to come alongside Subic Bay during deployment.

During the port visit to Subic Bay, Anzac and Success conducted a logistic resupply, as well as local engagements with the armed forces of the Philippines and government dignitaries. This was Anzac and Success’ first port visit together during the deployment.

In Kota Kinabalu, Toowoomba conducted an official function with Malaysian armed forces and local officials before participating in a passage exercise with the Royal Malaysian Navy on departure from the port.

Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral David Johnston said the visits provided an opportunity to strengthen military ties with the armed forces of Malaysia and the Philippines.

“Our enduring military-tomilitary engagement activities contribute to security and stability in the region,” Vice Admiral Johnston said.

“We have long-standing relationships with the armed forces of Malaysia and the Philippines, and these visits provide a great opportunity to build new friendships.”

HMAS ships Anzac, Toowoomba and Success will participate in a series of exercises with nations in the region, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua

New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.

‘‘ OUR ENDURING MILITARY-TO-MILITARY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES CONTRIBUTE TO SECURITY AND STABILITY IN THE REGION.

DAVID JOHNSTON

First Published: The Queensland Times
Source: PressReader.com

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