Category Archives: International

International, Science and Environment, Tourism

HAWAII TO IMPORT WHITE SAND FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO SAVE WAIKIKI BEACH

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Photo: The Adobo Chronicles
A gloomy forecast for Hawaii’s Waikiki Beach (Photo: The Adobo Chronicles)

HONOLULU, Hawaii (The Adobo Chronicles) – The world-famous Waikiki Beach, known for its blue water and immaculate white sand, is slowly disappearing, according to a recent report in The Huffington Post: 

“A crumbling, century-old stone wall that juts out from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is in imminent danger of collapsing, say scientists. The groin is the sole reason sand remains along this main stretch of Waikiki Beach.

Without it, the beach in front of the Royal Hawaiian would likely disappear in a matter of days, said Dolan Eversole, a scientist with the University of Hawaii’s Sea Grant program. It would take several months to a year for the rest of the stretch of sand to erode.”

In an effort to save Waikiki’s billion-dollar tourist industry from also collapsing, the Honolulu City Council is considering several measures to repair the crumbling sea walls in order to prevent the white sand from being washed away to the ocean.

At the same time, Honolulu City Mayor Kirk Caldwell today announced that the city will be importing 27,000 cubic yards of white sand from the Philippines  to replenish what has been lost along the stretch of Waikiki Beach.

The Philippines is known for its white sandy beaches in many of its more than 7,000 islands. International tourists have been visiting beach resorts in the Visayas, Palawan and the Ilocos region in the Philippines mainly for the pristine waters and pearly white sand.

Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino welcomed the news from Hawaii and used the sand export deal to again boast of his administration’s many successes in jumpstarting the country’s economy. “We can use the revenue from the sand export to build more high-rise condominiums in Metro Manila,” Aquino said.

Business, International, Travel

‘BALIKBAYAN’ BOXES WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED ON INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER FLIGHTS TO THE PHILIPPINES

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balikbayan-box-shippingHONOLULU, Hawaii (The Adobo Chronicles) – Starting April 1 this year, Filipinos returning to or going on a holiday to the Philippines will no longer be able to bring balikbayan boxes on board international flights to Manila, Cebu and other destinations in the country.

Balikbayan boxes are those corrugated cardboard boxes that Filipinos pack with tax-free goods to bring back to loved ones in the Philippines. The goods range from designer shoes and clothing to cartons of canned foods, cigarettes and toiletries — mostly purchased from big box stores like Costco and Walmart.

During their annual convention held last weekend in Honolulu, members of the International Commercial Airline Association (ICAA), agreed to totally ban balikbayan boxes as a way to speed up check-in procedures at airports and to maintain universally-accepted weight limits on their aircraft.

The ICAA said that many of their airline customers have constantly complained about the long check-in lines at airport counters, notably for flights going to the Philippines, because of the large number of balikbayan boxes being checked in by Filipino passengers.  The long lines have caused many passengers to miss their flights.

The ICAA also said that flights to the Philippines are always up to the load limit for aircraft due to the heavy weight of the balikbayan boxes. Most balikbayan  boxes  exceed the 50-pound limit for checked in baggage. “It compromises airline safety,” an ICAA spokesperson said.

Overseas Filipinos will still be able to send back goods to the Philippines in balikbayan boxes but only through cargo vendors that ship via ocean vessels.  It takes an average of 30-45 days to ship from the U.S. Mainland to the Philippines.

 

 

Government, Health & Medicine, International

AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THE U.S. NOW STANDS AT 112!

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Photo credit: tampabay.com
Photo credit: tampabay.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – For many decades, Japan has topped the list of countries with the highest life expectancy among the population, with an average of 84 years. The worldwide average is 71 years (68 for males and 73 for females).  The United States’ life expectancy has been known to average at  79.

But official records at the U.S. Social Security Administration show that life expectancy among Americans has been grossly miscalculated.

A recent review found that at least 6.5 million active Social Security numbers belong to people who are at least 112 years old, according to a report by The Washington Post. Thousands of workers over the age of 100 applied for employment verification through the U.S. government in recent years, the report added.

Previously, it has been estimated that less than half a million people worldwide are centenarians, or people still living at the age of 100 and above.

Population experts surmise that the the significant rise in American life expectancy could be due to a better and  more modern health care system,  increased calorie consciousness among the population (resulting from dietary labels on food packages as required by law), and the growing popularity of Zumba dance exercise among senior citizens.

Can we propose a toast of red wine to longer life for all?