Sebastian Power (left), Chief Operating Officer of PCS Security and Facility Services Limited, a company under OCS Group, recently participated in the "Facility Management Opportunities Beyond Industry 4.0" seminar for factory and building management professionals in Rayong and other eastern provinces, in the lead-up to the BMAM Expo Asia 2018. He spoke about facility management and environmental management technologies for Industry 4.0. Sattawat Anantakon (third left), Vice Governor of Rayong; Suraphon Sutthijinda (second left), Chairman of The Federation of Rayong Industries; and Chanon Ekarattanakul (centre), Project Manager at IMPACT Exhibition Management, also attended the seminar which took place at The Ballroom, Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Rayong City Center.


Prospective journalists need to do more than dig up dirt and craft a good lead. They need to know how to program or at least learn about programming, according to Miranda Mulligan, executive director of Northwestern University's Knight News Innovation Lab.
We need to innovate our curricula, really looking at what we are teaching our students. Learning, or mastering, specific software is not properly preparing our future journalists for successful, life-long careers. No one can learn digital storytelling in a semester. Mastering Dreamweaver and Flash isn't very future-friendly, and having a single mid-level "Online Journalism" course offered as an elective does more harm than good. We should be teaching code in all of our journalism courses — each semester, each year, until graduation.
There is growing belief in many quarters that software programming is no longer just for programmers — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has promised to learn how to code; 6-year olds in Estonia may soon do the same. And with more news flowing through the web rather than print, what Mulligan proposes here is not surprising at all.
It's our job as educators to remove fear of learning, a fear notoriously prevalent in journalists. HTML is not magic. Writing code is not wizardry; it's just hard work. Learning to program will not save journalism and probably won't change the way we write our stories. It is, however, a heck of a lot more fun being a journalist on the web once "how computers read and understand our content" is understood.
What is somewhat surprising, in my view, is the reluctance she sees among young would-be journalists to learn these skills. From what I've seen over the past few years, many young reporters are impressively proficient in these skills. It's the geezers (ahem) who have a hard time with coding. But here's the thing: Even geezers can learn. And if they want to stay employed, they will do so.
Programr is the place to go to to learn coding online.
Covers 12+ languages including Android and iOS.
This is the craziest idea I have ever heard. I guess next everyone should learn to be a mechanic to fix their car and everyone should learn some surgical skills to operate on their internal wounds. Maybe we should learn some mechanical and electrical engineering the next time our dishwasher goes on the blink.
Programmers should build applications for journalists so they don't need to code, they can use the app to create and publish content in any format. The problem here is that software programmers aren't doing their job. Their job is to code so we don't have to.
Journalists should learn to write and tell a story first. Check that, learn to think first. Then let's talk about coding.
Agreed. Asking a content creator to also acquire the skills to present that content is nonsense. Do the past Pulitzer Prize winners know how to typeset and operate a modern printing press? I doubt it.
There are monkeys all over the globe that can write code at the level you're asking of these journalists, but very few can create written content worth reading. Let the journalists do what they do best – write, not fumble around with HTML and JScript.
A software engineer of 20+ years.
I don't doubt the utility of such a skill set for journalists, or even the the population at large. But the need is somewhat mitigated by the several CMS's out there (WordPress, Buddypress, Joomla, Drupal). Coding for apps will fast become just as important as coding for the web. The former should already be taught in junior high on up, IMHO.
It seems to me that this article is suffering from confusion about the skills that journalists need to tell "data-driven, visual stories".
Unless, of course, telling "data-driven, visual stories" means embedding a graphic generated by Excel using the HTML IMG tag.
data scientists but there's some middle ground there, no?
Same holds true for everybody.
Learn to code becomes as essential as writing and speaking.
As you say coding (like any language learning) is hard, especially for oldsters. I was at the British Science Festival at a talk on Active Learning (elsewhere called Design Thinking, possibly) and I wonder if the penchant for adding programming to the should-be-taught-at-school ever growing list is that its clearly a successful business; the upper class feel they can refer to it without fear as they can punt questions on detail to when they get around to getting tips on the matter from Johnny; the UK political class have gone Google, allegedly.
Education is all about fashion and when Philosophy@nursery was introduced it was not a massive success because people could see that this was fun but shallow . The benefit of Computer Science is that there is always (to misquote Tom Hanks at Yale 2011 Commencement) something to look at, someone's programs to check – so yes I support the idea as there is nothing worse than a student saying "I am bored".
Same holds true for investors?
right– there's a push on now for virtually everyone to know some coding….
I concur! Every one should know a great deal of coding, no matter the field of study. Technology is continuously advancing. We should advance with it.


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Q: Add a Network User to Mac OS X Login screen It's easy enough to hide a user on the Mac OS X Login screen but, how do you add a network user to the Login screen?
Currently users click "Other…" and type their username & password. Most of our Macs, though managed, are primarily used by one individual. I'd like to put that individual's account name on the login screen. Anyone else who wants to login would still have to click "Other…".
Is this possible?

A: A far as I'm aware there is no way to add a network user to the login screen. You could make the network account mobile and then it would persist but I'm not sure if that's what you want to do without the context.

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Panglao, Bohol: Beaches and Islands
April 5, 2019 July 13, 2019 • shoestringdiary
More than most provinces in the Philippines, Bohol probably has the most diverse travel destinations. But like many of the archipelago's 7,000-plus islands, its beaches and islands are the more prominent ones. These are scattered throughout the province but the more popular ones are concentrated in and near Panglao Island at Bohol's southwestern tip.
Balicasag Island
Panglao Island is separate from the main island of Bohol but you do not need to take a ferry going there. There are two bridges/causeways from Tagbilaran that cross over to Panglao. The recent opening of an international airport right at Panglao has made the island's beaches even more accessible than ever.
Alona Beach
Alona Beach is the most popular beach in Bohol and probably has the densest concentration of hotels, resorts and restaurants in the province. We normally shy away from places with that kind of reputation but curiosity got the better of us this time and we ended up going there for lunch almost immediately upon our arrival in Bohol. It has a wide variety of dining options after all – something that our whole foods, plant-based diet needed.
Alona Beach can get crowded on weekends and during the hot and dry months (summer)
With more than a kilometer of white sand, clear turquoise waters and rock formations straddling both ends, Alona Beach is picturesque. But as we expected the beach has become extensively commercialized with a wide range of accommodations and dining establishments. Fortunately the night life here is still relatively quiet when compared to Boracay's at its height some time ago.
Fine white sand at Alona Beach
Alona Beach is said to have been named after Alona Alegre (real name: Maria Lourdes Salvador), a 1970's movie actress who was in the cast of a film shot on this beach and who became endeared to the locals here. Incidentally, Ms. Alegre passed away just a few months ago.
Alona Beach looking east
Other Beaches in Panglao
Boat at Danao Beach near our resort
We had wanted to visit Dumaluan Beach which wasn't that far away from Alona Beach but it wasn't to be. This beach is less commercialized than Alona even if it contains two high end resorts. It's also a white sand beach like Alona but longer; together with adjoining Libaong Beach it stretches for a good 3 kilometers making it possible to select a private spot. Some people say it is more beautiful than Alona Beach.
Sunset at Danao Beach
We stayed at a resort in Danao Beach which lies west of Alona Beach and hidden from the crowd. Although we still found a growing number of resorts around the area it was a good place for a retreat after a whole day of touring Bohol's countryside, other beaches and smaller islands. The beach scene with boats left high and dry at low tide forms a perfect foreground for sunsets.
Early morning low tide at Danao Beach
Other beaches in Panglao are Doljo Beach, Momo Beach and Panglao Beach in the northwestern and northern sections of the island and San Isidro Beach and Bikini Beach in the eastern section.
Balicasag Island: Dolphin-Watching and Snorkeling
We've always known Balicasag as a favored diving destination. Just less than 40 minutes away by boat from our place of stay at Danao Beach, this island is normally included in the island-hopping package tour offered at Panglao. The tour we took started out rather early – 6 AM – to be able to catch the dolphins. But after circling the area between Balicasag and Panglao Islands several times we were just about ready to give up when a group of them showed up. We must have seen 3 different pods but all were shy and would disappear back into the waves after briefly showing themselves (Leo couldn't even get off a decent shot). It wasn't like our experience at Bais, Negros Oriental, less than 70 km. to the west, where dolphins circled our boat for at least 30 minutes, some even swimming alongside. Still, seeing these animals in the wild is quite an experience.
Boats at Balicasag Island
Dolphin-watching over we headed off to nearby Balicasag Island. The whole perimeter around this small island is covered in white sand – actually crushed corals for the most part. Declared as a marine sanctuary it has become one of the top snorkeling and dive spots in the country. We had high expectations about snorkeling here and we weren't disappointed.
Transferring to a smaller boat for snorkeling in the marine sanctuary
At Balicasag's Beach we transferred from our motorized outrigger to a small row boat just big enough for the 4 of us. The snorkeling site wasn't too far from shore and the water is so crystal-clear that some of us didn't even bother to snorkel – you could easily see the fishes and corals underneath. Our boat anchored at a spot very close to a sudden drop-off which usually holds a lot of marine life (there are also sea turtles in the southeastern part of the island). Sure enough we spotted a huge number of corals and colorful reef fishes underwater including small schools of the largest reef fishes we've ever seen.
Clouds over Virgin Island and its sandbar
Virgin Island and Sandbar
Balicasag has plenty of food stalls under the shade of trees so we took our time after snorkeling to just chill out, catch-up on breakfast and sip coffee. The next island on our list – Pungtud Island was just a short 15 minutes away.
Mangrove tree amidst shallow waters at Virgin Island's sandbar
A sea of white
Unlike Balicasag, Virgin Island (as Pungtud is more popularly known) has very few activities to offer. The main draw here is its long sandbar and the surrounding shallow and very clear waters. And what a draw it had become. Arriving at the island late in the morning, a large number of boats have already docked and disgorged passengers. Smaller boats floated in the aquamarine waters, their intrepid owners selling drinks, coconuts and snacks including sea urchins.
Floating snack shops at Virgin Island's waters
The path to the central part of the island – marked by trees – has been fenced off by the owner of the property so visitors are left with the sandbar to explore. But the area is so large that there's plenty of room even with a large number of boats and visitors. We actually enjoyed our time here, just soaking in the shallow waters and enjoying the sight of a vast sea of white sand and crystalline waters.
Island-Hopping and Beach Bumming in Panglao
Many visitors to Bohol choose to stay at or near the beaches at Panglao Island making it relatively easy for them to tour the other beaches there. Our resort near Danao Beach even has a free shuttle van ride to Alona Beach. They do charge for beach destinations farther than that. Trikes are also available for these trips and some establishments offer motorbikes for rent.
Resorts as well as local boat owners arrange island-hopping and dolphin-watching tours to Balicasag and Virgin Islands for P1,500 to P1,900 for a group of 5. As we mentioned earlier the tour usually starts at 6 AM to catch the spinner dolphins, then head off to Balicasag and finally to Virgin Island. The island-hopping tour usually finishes before lunch.
Dolphins are best observed from March to June but it may be possible to see resident dolphins the whole year round. At the more distant Pamilacan Island, it is even possible to do whale-watching during the same period. However, tour boats from Panglao apparently do not go there. Pamilacan is under the jurisdiction of Baclayon town in mainland Bohol and it seems that only boats from Baclayon pier are able to go there.
Posted in Bohol, Travel PhilippinesTagged Alona Beach, Balicasag Island, beach, Bohol, Danao Beach, dolphin watching, island, Panglao Island, Pungtud Island, sandbar, snorkeling, Virgin IslandBookmark the permalink.
6 thoughts on "Panglao, Bohol: Beaches and Islands"
The Snow Melts Somewhere says:
Aaaah, gorgeous…
shoestringdiary says:
Sunshiny SA, Kavitha says:
Perfectly picturesque and idyllic… Aaaah, I need a vacation.
Thanks Kavita! We're hoping the place will retain its cleanliness and beauty even with the large influx of tourists these days.
Steven Olmstead says:
Thanks for sharing this! Beautiful photos. Alona Beach and Balicasag Island actually look much better and cleaner than when I visited about 10 years ago. For me, that's a first. Usually increasing trash on the beach and boats blocking access to the water is a sure sign an area has been "discovered" by tourists in the Philippines. Too bad you missed Dumaluan Beach. It's beautiful. Bohol Beach Club used to have a great deal for day passes there.
Thanks Steve! We think that when they closed Boracay temporarily many of the resorts and restos – along with the tourists – came over to Alona Beach. There's less people on Dumaluan but it wasn't our time.
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