ILOILO CITY, Philippines — A seismic hazard simulation software estimates 5,000 casualties if an 8.1 magnitude earthquake will strike Iloilo City.

This was based on the preliminary impact results of the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment (REDAS), a computer software developed by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) that simulates the likelihood of earthquakes and its impact on a community.

Philvocs director Renato Solidum Jr. explained that REDAS is more of a building exposure database, which compiles structural characteristics of buildings to assess the capability of a community to respond to disaster. (Tara Yap)

Cebu grad tops architect exams

CEBU CITY (PNA) — A graduate of the University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City topped the architecture licensure examinations given last week, while two other USC graduates shared the fourth place.

Marianne Therese Caballero Amores bested 1,082 graduates who passed the Architect Licensure Examination (ALE), with a rating of 87.7 percent.

Tied at fourth place are USC graduates Clive Andrew It-it Guanzon and Mary Angelie Go Sang, both garnering 86.10 percent. Of USC 42 first-time examinees, 39 passed, giving the school a 92.86 passing percentage.

Garcia proposes split of Mandaue

CEBU CITY (PNA) — Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu, 2nd District) has proposed the division of Mandaue City into north and south congressional districts instead of turning it into a lone district. “This has not been done yet, but it is legally possible,” said Garcia, who is also a Deputy House Speaker.

The sixth district is composed of Mandaue City and the towns of Consolacion and Cordova. A former member of the sixth district, Lapu-Lapu City, has been turned into a lone congressional district.

Need for more hotels cited

CEBU CITY — Cebu needs the presence of more international hotel and resort chains to further enhance its image in the international tourism market, an industry official suggested. “Cebu needs more investors in tourism, particularly prominent international hotel chains because this will raise the marketability of Cebu to the foreign market,” said Hans Hauri, president of the Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Association of Cebu (HRRAC).

For this to materialize, the industry needs more investors who are to pay for the construction of these branded hotels while the hotel chain manages the operations, Hauri said, who is also the general manager of Marco Polo Plaza-Cebu and recently the area manager of Marco Polo hotels in the Philippines. (Malou M. Mozo)

Online shopping site is launched

CEBU CITY — From its beginning as a social networking site where millions of people share photos and videos, Multiply has now evolved into a large online shopping site in the country by launching Multiply Commerce with over 80,000 on-line stores.

During the site launching last Thursday at this city's Formo resto-bar, Steven Santos, Business Partnership Development head of Multiply Philippines, said Multiply Commerce offers digital entrepreneurs to have a unique platform where on-line shoppers can also browse to more than 83,000 shops. (Phoebe Jen Indino)