by: Qwynz Bonachita || Photo Credit: Mark Balmores

On September 22, 2023, a dense gray fog settled on parts of Metro Manila, alarming both residents and experts. Initially thought to be Taal Volcano’s volcanic smog (vog), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) revealed that rather than volcanic emissions, the atmospheric phenomenon was intricately linked to the emissions from heavy vehicular traffic.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that the vog from Taal Volcano is drifting west-southwest, steering clear of the Metro Manila area—a finding in concordance with DENR-EMB data.

Vehicles and stationary sources are the main emitters of particulate matter. Particulate matter or particle pollution are tiny pieces of solid or liquid particles that are in the air. These particles may include dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and drops of liquid.

For years, the DENR has emphasized that automobiles contribute 80% to the pollution levels in Metro Manila, with the remaining 20% being attributed to emissions from industries, construction sites, and even open-air burning.

Some parts of Metro Manila are experiencing hazardous air quality levels. Parañaque City records an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 217, Pateros at 141, and Makati City at 128, all of which have exceeded the guideline value of 35 micrograms per normal cubic meter (µg/Ncm), classifying these areas as “acutely unhealthy” for residents.

In a press briefing, Secretary Renato Solidum clarified that vog was only present in the Batangas atmosphere, whereas the one in Metro Manila was a smog induced by thermal inversion, where the air temperature is lower at the surface than it is above.

“It’s not vog; it’s smog. Not related, but the smog in Metro Manila can affect health. When outdoors, wear masks. When indoors, seal off doors and windows,” Solidum advised.

The Department of Health has echoed this sentiment, urging the public to remain indoors and limit outdoor activities to mitigate exposure to both vog in southern Luzon and the smog blanketing Metro Manila. Furthermore, keeping doors and windows shut and wearing masks when going outside are recommended, with ample hydration to counteract any potential irritation and dryness.

by: Kyle Abello || Photo Credit: U.S. Chamber of Commerce

You turn on TikTok to a prank video of a person being startled by a spider crawling on their face, then probably scroll more to a person using a filter that morphs their face to adjust the gap between their eyes. Say you wanted to take a new display picture for your social media pages, so you go to Snapchat and try on some of their filters to add some flavor to your picture.

These examples of popular social media gimmicks are an application of Augmented Reality (AR). As outlined by Microsoft, AR is an enhanced, interactive version of a real-world environment achieved through digital visual elements, sounds, and other sensory stimuli via holographic technology. AR incorporates three features: a combination of digital and physical worlds, interactions made in real time, and accurate 3D identification of virtual and real objects.

AR offers a better way to design, curate, and deliver consumable instructions by overlaying digital content in real-world work environments. AR, like many other technologies nowadays, was not made overnight. The first AR technology was developed in 1968 at Harvard when computer scientist Ivan Sutherland, tagged as the “father of computer graphics,” created an AR head-mounted display system. Over the following years after its first development, companies, universities, and government agencies have advanced AR for wearables and digital displays, which superimposed virtual information on the physical environment, and allowed simulations that were used for aviation, military and industrial purposes. However, it wasn’t until 2008 that the first commercial AR application had been developed.

Both hardware and software components contribute to making AR function: hardware components like sensors, cameras, and processors; and, software components, like image recognition, Artificial Intelligence, and AR software for processing. 

AR has two types, each of which have a unique way of displaying your images and information. The first type is marker-based AR. Image recognition is used to detect objects that have previously been programmed into your AR device or application to generate marker-based AR. These markers can assist your AR device in determining the position and orientation of the camera by being placed in the field of vision as points of reference. In most cases, this is accomplished by converting your camera to grayscale, detecting a marker, and then comparing that marker to every other marker stored in its information bank. Once a match is made, your device uses that information to calculate the pose and position the AR image appropriately. 

The second type of AR is marker-less. Marker-less AR is more complex because there is no fixed place for your device to focus on. Your device must therefore be able to distinguish objects as they come into view. The device will first identify the object using a recognition algorithm that looks for colors, patterns, and similar features. Then, using time, accelerometer, GPS, and compass data, it will either orient itself or use a camera to overlay an image of whatever you want over your actual surroundings.

Interestingly, there are many applications of AR in the real world: education for immersive learning experiences and remote collaboration; healthcare for medical simulations and patient care and rehabilitation; architecture design for real-time project visualization and virtual walkthroughs; retail and marketing for virtual testing of products and personalized advertisements and promotions. 

Despite the given advantages of AR, it still has some challenges and limitations. Technical challenges of AR include latency and performance issues, image recognition and tracking limitations. Additionally, AR also has ethical concerns related to data security, user privacy, and psychological and societal impacts. Accessibility is also a concern with AR due to the high cost of AR devices and applications along with the growing digital divide.

AR will surely develop in the coming years, with advancements in devices like wearables and AI and machine learning integration. In addition, AR could also potentially be used for smart cities and infrastructure, scientific research, and even for seamless integration into everyday life.

Proving its fascinating yet useful use, AR has been improving from its creation to more widespread application. Like many other technologies, it has its own share of concerns that need to be addressed, but overall, the possibilities of AR are endless. So, the next time you use social media filters to enhance or morph your appearance, think about AR and its potential to make an impact to society beyond the light-hearted social media gimmicks.

by: Nathaniel Dela Torre || Photo Credit: Monterrazas Prime Cebu Facebook Page

An architecturally forward design is how vlogger and engineer Slater Young describes his latest project, “The Rise at Monterrazas.” According to Young’s video, the project is designed with three pillars in mind: uniqueness, usability, and sustainability. However, as architecturally forward as it may seem, its detriment to the environment is a looming cause for concern.

The Rise at Monterrazas is a luxury condominium slated to be built at Monterrazas de Cebu. With its design integrated with the mountain, one might wonder, ‘How much of the environment will be destroyed for this project?’ Imagine the hectares of land that will be eroded and the amount of trees that will be cut down for its completion. These threats are only some of the concerns that netizens and environmentalists alike have raised regarding the project.

An architecturally forward design does not have to be environmentally backward. In his video, Young stated that they spread the whole structure out across the mountain to lessen its environmental impacts, however, was there a need to impact the environment in the first place? Another high-rise condominium could have been built elsewhere, preserving a natural safeguard against disasters for residents in the area. 

The Monterrazas de Cebu near the project itself received two cease and desist orders in 2008 and 2011 from the city’s local government units due to its effects on the residential areas. On both occasions, the development was ordered to stop because of the large-scale flooding it caused in the nearby sitios and barangays. These floods were observed and believed to come about as a result of the project’s development. Who’s to say that this will not happen again once the Rise at Monterrazas condominium reaches its development stage? This project is creating more housing for the rich at the expense of the common people’s safety.

The sustainable solutions that the project team presented are merely facades constructed to hide their employers’ greed. Creating a view that resembles the renowned rice terraces would set their condominium apart from the rest of the luxury housing in the country, no matter the cost. The sustainable solutions presented are only band-aid solutions to the detrimental effects this project would have, not only on the environment but also on the residents living nearby.

We should not forget that the environment is the foundation of our existence. From the resources it provides to the protection it offers, we, as inhabitants of Earth, should always prioritize its preservation. However, considering the rapid pace at which we are destroying its beauty and gifts, we must always remember that the environment has its own ways of retaliating, it always knows how to strike back.