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Sunday, August 4, 2013

McJIM Leather Products - truly Filipino

Leather craftsmanship that is distinctly Filipino                                
                                     Tina Arceo-Dumlao
                                     Philippine Daily Inquirer, Aug. 3, 2013

If Jim Cham had his way, he would be singing all the way to the bank. That’s because music has always been his passion. He spent a good part of his youth singing in combos, as they were known then. He gladly sang for a pittance just to be able to share his love for music with his audience.

But family life, which started when he got married at age 19, nipped his singing career in the bud. Realizing he had to find a more stable source of livelihood to feed, clothe and shelter his young family, he set aside his guitar, turned his back on the stage and pursued another passion: leather goods.

McJIM is an expert when 
it comes to accessories for men.
That put Cham on the long road to build McJim Leather Goods to what it is today, one of the biggest local manufacturers of men’s leather accessories that are giving foreign brands a run for their money.

McJim specializes in men’s accessories, with belts and wallets accounting for the bulk of its sales. Founded in the backyard of the family home in 1968 with just three employees—Jim, his wife and a helper from Baguio City where the couple met during his guitar playing days—the company today has over 300 employees.

McJim marketing manager Bernadett Chang says that McJim has been able to grow significantly over the past 45 years because of its unstinting adherence to top quality standards.

Quality, the company says, is the first ingredient of a good product and a philosophy that guides its processes—from selecting materials to product design, the manufacturing methods to selecting the most qualified leather craftsmen to make the products by hand.

This means investing in fine leather from Spain and Italy, sewing machines from Germany, and high level of craftsmanship from the Philippines. While certain phases of the manufacturing process involve machines, it still takes expert human hands to fashion a leather product into something that approaches art.

Based on the company’s experience, machines are an inferior substitute to the work achieved by expert craftsmen. Jim, whose family used to distribute popular watches such as Rado and Longines, learned all about the leather industry through experience—trial and error being a hash taskmaster.

Initially, he ventured into belts. In the early 1970s, he did not put any brand but merely supplied to the department stores and other retailers who put their own brands on his products. But even if he did not have any name, he was already big on quality, and McJim was one of the first local manufacturers of leather accessories to go abroad to hunt for the best materials for its target market.  It went to Japan, for instance, to buy leather as well as buckles for the belts.

Among the first department stores to carry the leather goods was the former Otis Department store, which was partly owned by Jim’s sister. Jim’s wife, a Miss Baguio pageant winner, was instrumental in finding buyers for the fledgling company’s products due to her amiable nature. She could talk to anyone and everyone, and would easily convert cold calls to potential clients into sales, not just in Otis, but in other department stores such as the former Good Earth Emporium.

After a few years of selling unbranded goods, Jim felt it was time to put his own brand on the products. He dared to brand the leather using his own name, an indication of how much he believed in his products.

He was also able to penetrate new distribution channels, such as the SM group. The Gaisano and Robinsons malls likewise carried McJim leather goods, which expanded in range from belts and wallets to bags and other men’s accessories.

“As the malls grew, the company did, too,” says Chang, adding that McJim’s wide range of leather products are now found in all department stores, under the men’s accessories department where it has its own section. From three, McJim now employs 350 people, including a full staff of designers, spread across four factories. Founder Jim, however, remains the driving design force.

The 66 year old frequently goes abroad to update himself on the latest trends and technology. For McJim, there is simply no compromising on quality even if it means pricing the goods above those of its competitors and exerting extra effort to impart on the employees the need to maintain product standards.

Today, McJim’s sales mainly come from the original belts, which account for 40 percent of annual sales, followed by wallets, with up to 35 percent. Bags and small leather goods, such as the occasional suspenders, make up the rest.

Chang says that McJim tried to produce a ladies line. But the company discontinued the line when the founders realized that ladies fashion required a different skills set. Thus it stuck to men’s accessories, which it knew by heart.

Chang explains that, unlike women’s accessories, those of men tend to be more stable and did not require frequent changes. Its market—professionals who have left their trendy days behind, according to the company—wants to be both fashionable and conservative, steering clear of anything flashy.

McJIM goes abroad in search of top quality
leather used to make bags, belts and wallets
.
After 45 years in the market, its challenge today is to keep up with the times and penetrate the broader market to endear McJim to a new generation of loyal customers. This means possibly coming up with a separate brand that will feature products using other materials such as local leather and polyester.

But the core, however, will still be McJim Classic and all products will conform with the McJim philosophy of style, quality and elegance expressed in products of high quality but within reach of most Filipinos.

“We want everyone to enjoy great products with a great brand that is proudly Filipino,” says Chang.

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Saturday, August 3, 2013

Philippines' low-cost landslide sensor

Low-cost landslide sensor tested in Philippines
                          Nora Gamolo
                          SciDev, 08/12/11

A low-cost sensor that can detect landslides has been developed in the Philippines and is being promoted as an alternative to expensive early warning systems manufactured overseas. The sensor costs less than US$1,000, in contrast to standard commercially available landslide sensors that can cost up to US$60,000 — excluding installation costs.

The Philippine system was developed through collaboration between the National Institute of Geological Studies (NIGS) and the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, both part of the University of the Philippines.

Two prototype sensors were deployed 14 months ago in the upland province of Benguet, selected by the researchers because of its high vulnerability to landslides.

Ms. Ruffa Carreon, engineering student and research
assistant explaining the column part of the device
The sensor uses power available from an electric grid, but has a back-up battery in case of power failure. "The sensor is buried vertically in the bedrock of the areas that are being monitored for possible landslides," explained engineer and programme leader Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. 

The sensor logs ground movement electronically and transmits a report every ten seconds to the NIGS, which serves as a central base station. Geologists then process and analyse the data, measuring various parameters that affect the sturdiness of slopes, such as rainfall intensity and moisture content.

Sandra Catane, a NIGS geologist, said her team has already noted a displacement of 20 centimetres in Puguis, Benguet, since the sensors were deployed. But she admitted that, at present, they still have to identify the tipping point that indicates when a landslide is about to occur.

According to Catane, the project was initiated following a landslide in Southern Leyte in 2006 that buried the village of Guinsaugon, killing more than 1,100 people. "It was an experience that can occur in one in 1,000 cases, and [was] an eye-opener for us," she said.

Landslides occur because of loosened soil and rocks. Strong rains are the most common cause of landslides in the Philippines, although ground movement — for example, resulting from an earthquake — can increase the probability of a landslide occurring.

Catane said the eventual widespread deployment of the landslide sensors is also an opportunity to create a database on landslides in the country, and could trigger an interest in this area of geology.

But the project faces several problems, including the lack of trained geologists to carry out reconnaissance and choose the appropriate area for deployment of the sensors; interpret the results; and make a visual validation after the data has been logged.

Catane added that the copper wires attached to the deeply-buried sensors had already been stolen twice, apparently to be sold as scrap metal. She emphasized the need to make communities aware of the importance of sensors, and to train them to manage and secure sensors for their own safety.

The project is featured in this video.

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Philippine-made MOSES Tablet for DOST Project NOAH

When the weather remains to be unpredictable, there is no other way but to apply the most sophisticated scientific tool to mitigate, if not prevent, the negative impact of typhoons, floods, tsunamis and even volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

This is the reason why the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) has come up with a tablet device aptly called MOSES or Mobile Operational System for Emergency Services.

DOST MOSES tablet for Project NOAH
MOSES is a tablet capable of receiving real-time weather and flood information reports from DOST’s Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Project NOAH that local officials, down to the barangay level, can access for accurate decision-making eventually to prevent massive destruction and casualties.

The 8-inch mobile tablet is designed locally with assembled chipset and circuit boards to ensure the availability of spare parts as well as service support. It has a dual SIM function, television, and radio component and is packaged in a rugged shell with a long-life battery that can last up to three days. 

MOSES also provides Doppler radar sensor data, water level sensor data and measurements culled from gauges strategically located in different high-risk areas. Also available in the tablet is a hazard map that is updated in real time.

The tablet also comes with other disaster prevention apps like the Arko, which gives historic flood data on the areas in Metro Manila that can be used to predict the level of floods in several areas in the nation, Project NOAH, and the Flood Patrol.

It allows its user to take pictures of calamities and its effects such as flooded areas, fires, and landslides. The pictures are then uploaded and sent to the command center via 3G or Wifi. Photos of specific locations such as schools, houses, and hospitals can also be taken and sent immediately for reporting.

The photos will help pinpoint the location of search-and-rescue facilities, as well as blocked access routes and emergency access routes, giving visually accurate information on the situation in each barangay. The central command center can then send messages containing advisories or warnings back to the barangays. 

DOST aims to provide the 42,028 barangays with this tablets. For the pilot test, 1,000 units are expected to be distributed to different barangays in Metro Manila.

So if Moses could wave his staff and part the Red Sea, MOSES may be the answer to scientifically managing disasters and allow us to rise above the floods.

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Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards): Philippines' advanced disaster prevention and mitigation system

Project NOAH is the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) response to the call of President Benigno S. Aquino III for a more accurate, integrated, and responsive disaster prevention and mitigation system, especially in high-risk areas throughout the Philippines.

The Project will harness technologies and management services for disaster risk reduction activities offered by the DOST through PAGASA, PHIVOLCS, and the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), in partnership with the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences and the UP College of Engineering.

A screenshot of Project NOAH website

The Project has the following components:

Distribution of Hydrome-teorological Devices in hard-hit areas in the Philippines (Hydromet). A total of 600 automated rain gauges (ARG) and 400 water level monitoring stations (WLMS) will be installed along the country’s 18 major river basins (RBs) by December 2013 to provide a better picture of the country’s surface water in relation to flooding. 

Disaster Risk Exposure Assessment for Mitigation – Light Detection and Ranging (DREAM-LIDAR) Project. The project, which is targeted to be completed by December 2013, aims to produce more accurate flood inundation and hazard maps in 3D for the country’s flood-prone and major river systems and watersheds. 

Enhancing Geohazards Mapping through LIDAR. The project, which is targeted to be completed by December 2014, shall use LIDAR technology and computer-assisted analyses to identify exact areas prone to landslides. 

Coastal Hazards and Storm Surge Assessment and Mitigation (CHASSAM). CHASSAM, which is targeted to be completed by December 2014, will generate wave surge, wave refraction, and coastal circulation models to understand and recommend solutions for coastal erosion. 

Flood Information Network (FloodNET) Project. Targeted to be completed by December 2013 is a flood center that will provide timely and accurate information for flood early warning systems. The FloodNET Project will come up with computer models for the critical RBs, automate the process of data gathering, modeling and information output, and release flood forecasts. 

Local Development of Doppler Radar Systems (LaDDeRS). LaDDeRS seeks to develop local capacity to design, fabricate, and operate sub-systems of Doppler radars for remotely sensing the dynamic parameters of sea surface such as wave, wind field, and surface current velocity. 

Landslide Sensors Development Project. This project is a low-cost, locally developed, sensor-based early monitoring and warning system for landslides, slope failures, and debris flow. As of May 2012, ten sensors have been installed in San Francisco, Surigao del Norte; Tago, Surigao del Sur; Tublay, Bugias, and Bokod in Benguet; Guihulngan City, Negros Occidental; St. Bernard, Southern Leyte; and Tubungan, Iloilo. Additional sensors are expected to be deployed to not less than 50 sites by 2013. 

Weather Hazard Information Project (WHIP). WHIP involves the utilization of platforms such as television (DOSTv) and a web portal (http://noah.dost.gov.ph), which display real-time satellite, Doppler radar, ARG, and WLMS data to empower LGUs and communities to prepare against extreme natural hazards. This is complemented by activities, such as: a) conducting of IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) activities; and b) the processing and packaging of relevant and up-to-date information for public use.

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Friday, August 2, 2013

Mechanical Anti-terrorist Concept (MAC): the Philippines' first bomb disposal robot

The MAC bomb disposal robot
Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the military fields of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD), and the public safety roles of Public Safety Bomb Disposal (PSBD) and the Bomb Squad. Though properly equipped and highly skilled, bomb disposal activities still pose danger to bomb disposal personnel. Thus, remote-controlled robots have been developed to take the hazardous job.

In the Philippines, where terrorism poses a great threat and terrorists often use bombs to create fear among the public, such device is important. The first locally-made bomb disposal robot is MAC (Mechanical Anti-terrorist Concept). It is developed in collaboration between the Philippine National Police and a robotics team from Mapua Institute of Technology and costs roughly $6,100 as of 2008. Its chief designer is Engr. John Judilla, head of the robotics team of MIT and one of the country’s top engineers in the multidisciplinary field of mechatronics and who is also a naval reserve officer.

MAC is two feet tall, three feet wide and five feet long. It is made of aluminum, fiberglass, and engineering plastic. It is equipped with a mobile arm that can lift objects weighing up to 11 pounds. It features a front and rear cameras and has a night-vision capability. The four wheeled vehicle runs off motorcycle batteries, and can move at up to four meters a second or 15 kilometers per hour. Though MAC is controlled via a 150 foot cable, with the operator viewing the video feed on a laptop it can also be operated via remote control depending on the situation. MAC, which weighs about a hundred pounds, can carry up to 44 pounds of equipment, and future versions will carry different types of equipment.
Engr. John Judilla, MAC's chief designer

MAC was presented to the public in October 2008 and inducted into the Makati City police force conferred a Police Inspector rank equivalent to a captain in the military. In the same month, MAC won as the grand champion during the year’s World Cup of Computer Implemented Inventions Competition held in China.

In November of the same year, the Philippine Navy expressed interest to acquire enhanced and navalized version of MAC capable of operating in water under Project Smart. Funding for the project was taken under the Self-Reliance Defense Program (SRDP) 2009 budget of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization.

If MAC will be put into mass production with lower production costs, quality engineering and talented individuals to develop further the technology, Philippines will become a source of a cheap alternative to countries that need bomb disposal robots that can’t afford expensive units from developed countries like the United States.

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