On the Spot: What makes a hotel green?

Question: Can I be a greener hotel guest?

Answer: You can and you should. But, as Kermit the Frog noted, it's not easy being green.

The May 6 "On the Spot" column focused on behaviors of hotel guests that are wasteful and harmful to the environment. But, we should note, it's also up to the hotel to practice what the green gods preach. The question for those of us who are environmental novices — and I am one — is what is a best practice? I'd love to know if housekeeping is using environmentally sound products, but I don't have the expertise to assess that. Instead, experts made these suggestions:

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TACLOBAN CITY -- Transport between this city and Eastern Samar has been disrupted with the collapsed portion of a bridge due to heavy rain, an official said yesterday.

The Quinapondan Bridge that links to Samar South Coastal Road, which is under rehabilitation, is intact but the approach was closed to traffic, said Ricardo D. Odita, Public Works-Eastern Samar district engineer.
"The scouring was triggered by heavy rainfall and passing of trucks weighing more than the 10-ton load limit set while the bridge is still under retrofitting," Mr. Odita said in a phone interview.

"We are helpless in curbing violations since heavy equipment pass the bridge at midnight," he added.

With the collapse of the bridge approach, motorists will have to use the road connecting Paranas, Samar and Taft, Eastern Samar as an alternate route from Tacloban City to Borongan and other Eastern Samar towns.

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Pintados-Kasadyaan Foundation gets ready for the Sto. Niño fiesta celebration

TACLOBAN CITY, May 7 (PIA) — Preparations are underway for the forthcoming Leyte fiesta celebration on June 30, highlighting the festival of festivals in honor of Sr. Sto. Niño, the Patron Saint.

During the meeting attended by heads and representatives from government and socio-civic organizations, held recently at the SMED Center this city, list of different activities together with the corresponding month-long daily schedule were presented as the working guide for the different committees organized.

Among the group’s plans for this year’s activities is the street dancing and playground exhibition depicting the different festivals, which will be participated in by contingents from the municipalities of Leyte such as Abuyog, Tanauan, Alang-alang, Dulag, Palo, Sta. Fe, and Carigara, among others.

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Underwater hotel plans take shape.

Drydocks World signed an MoU with BIG InvestConsult, the representative of Deep Ocean Technology the Polish owner behind the unique technology and concept of Water Discus Hotel that envisages an ultimate leisure facility with a structure that is partly above water and the rest underneath – a residential Underwater Discus with an Above Water Discus.

The MoU was signed during the Annual Investment Meeting held at the Dubai International Convention Center under the aegis of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade.

Deep Ocean Technology holds special exclusivity rights for the customers and facilities located in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

According to the MoU, Drydocks and Maritime World is appointed as the exclusive main contractor for construction of the new concept hotels and cities floating in the Middle East.

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Hottest day: Residents in Manila swelter in 36.6C heat

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Metro Manila and most of Luzon might be wilting under an unforgiving summer sun, but Eastern Visayas is finding sweet relief in occasional rainshowers that have tempered the heat of recent days.

As Manila sweltered at 36.6 degrees Celsius Monday-the highest this year so far-Tacloban City experienced intermittent rains the whole day Monday.

The rains were a welcome respite for residents of Tacloban whose hottest day was recorded at 32.5 degrees Celsius on April 15, with average humidity level at 31.8 degrees Celsius.

The local Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) office said that for the next three to four days, Tacloban could experience more rains due to the low pressure area spotted north northwest of General Santos City.

Other areas in Eastern Visayas also experienced scattered rainshowers, said a staff member of the local Pagasa office who did not want to be named.

The highest temperature reading in Metro Manila this year was taken around 2 p.m. Monday at Pagasa Science Garden in Quezon City, prompting the weather bureau to warn residents against heat stroke and exhaustion.

The previous maximum temperature reading in Metro Manila for 2012 was 36.4 degrees Celsius, which was recorded last Friday.

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