Landslide, flood, Davao del Sur, Calabarzon

CEBU CITY—Two journalists are giving locals and tourists a “techie experience” during the Sinulog festivities, Cebu’s biggest festival in honor of the Holy Child Jesus.

Max Limpag and wife Marlen have authored an electronic guidebook to the Sinulog festival that users can store in their iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Android phones and tablets and other tablets, e-readers and smart phones.

“A Guide to Sinulog 2012” features all the essential information that a traveler needs to have a worthwhile and memorable festival experience.

A separate quick response (QR) code technology has also been introduced to enable those who walk through the city to obtain information about its heritage sites and structures in an instant.

It has been made available for downloading on USB flash disks or through the QR code at the Mactan Cebu International Airport and malls like Ayala Center Cebu as well as strategic locations like Cebu City Hall, Max said.

The project was conceived with the city government, Smart Communications and the Department of Tourism to cater to the increasing number of people, especially tourists, who own light, portable media like smart phones and tablets, said Max.

Information

The Sinulog guidebook includes information like a brief history of Cebu, an introduction to the Sinulog, tips on surviving the solemn procession on Saturday and the Sinulog  Grand Parade on Sunday, the highlights of the Sinulog festival.

Procession and parade route maps as well as information needed in case of emergency are also provided.

A user does not have to flip through several pages to access information on a desired page. One just needs to touch a chapter title on the table of contents to read the chosen page.

Meantime, to provide information about historic sites and structures through the QR code system, a chip similar to but larger than a bar code will be placed on these structures.

When a user scans the QR code using a smart phone or tablet, the device will use the data to connect to the website mycebu.ph, which will display text and photos related to the site.

Max presented to the Inquirer the QR codes for the Cebu Heritage Monument that is located in the city’s Parian district.

After scanning the QR code, the smart phone yielded a dossier on the monument that features sculptures of Cebuano figures like Blessed Pedro Calungsod and the hero Lapu-Lapu.

Scanning the QR code that will be placed on the San Juan Bautista chapel in that district, a user will be led by his device of choice to a page that presents not only text about the chapel but a history of the now nonexistent San Juan Bautista Church that stood where the chapel is. It was the biggest Church in Cebu. A picture of the Church will be shown in the mycebu.ph page.