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In case you are wondering where General Trias City is found, it is located in Cavite, and is one of the progressive towns in the province.  It is but a stone's throw away from the CEPZA (Cavite Export Processing Zone) In fact, due to many constructions and developments around the area, traffic has become horrendous.  What used to be a sluggish town has become a bustling area.  The influx of businesses catering to Korean tourists also contributed to the sudden economic surge in the area. In case you will find yourself in the area, here are 5 things you can do: 1.  Visit and Pray at St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church: There are many St. Francis of Assisi Parish Churches in the Philippines.  I can name at least 3.  But this is a historical church and is one of the oldest churches in the province of Cavite.  This church is admired for its attractive architecture and religious significance . If you're interested in local history and culture, this is worth...

  Rodriguez was formerly known as Montalban.  It is situated in the province of Rizal, at the foot of Sierra Madre.  It is the nearest town to Quezon City, through the Payatas Road that snakes by the hillside passing by Litex and exiting to Commonwealth Avenue. Montalban started developing in the late 90s when residential homes were built.  Although many government housing projects have been set up before just like the Amityville subdivision, the development was slow because transportation was very limited.  Very few jeepneys plied the Montalban-Litex Routes and Montalban-Cubao route.  Nowadays, traffic is on a 24-hour run and many establishments are now open 24/7.    Montalban offers a mix of natural attractions and recreational activities. Here are five things you can do in Rodriguez, Rizal:   (Wikipedia)   1.  Visit Wawa Dam .  It is a picturesque reservoir surrounded by lush greenery. You can enjoy a leisurely walk by ...

  To raise funds for a massive nationwide nutrition program for children, a charity dinner concert will be staged at The Manila Hotel on November 26, 2022 at 6:00pm. This was announced by Joey Lina  last October 6, 2022 also at The Manila Hotel.    The Manila Hotel President and Former Senator after the formation of an alliance of non-governmental organizations called “Alliance for a Healthy Philippines” (AHP) The alliance aims to increase awareness on the serious children malnutrition problem in the country and to implement barangay-based nutrition intervention program especially during the child’s first 1,000 days. The organizations include Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Jaycees, Midwives and the World Vision and others. The AHP will work in tandem with government, particularly with the National Nutrition Council (NNC). The performers in the concert include the country’s premier music artists Isay Alvarez, Lara Maigue, Rachelle Gerodias, former press secretary Atty. ...

          Hate crimes in New York specifically directed towards Asians have become rampant in the past few years. We have heard of random attacks towards Asians inside the subway, in the streets of New York happen in the past two years or so.  Will we ever see the end of it?  What triggers these hate towards Asians?   Last Saturday, the Philippine Consulate General in New York issued an advisory.  Apparently, one Filipino tourist from Cebu was the latest victim of an assault stemming from hatred towards Asians.  This attack happened near the Philippine Center in Manhattan last Wednesday. rappler.com           The consulate posted in its Facebook page that the 18-year old victim who is from Cebu, suffered facial injuries because he was beaten up.  Authorities still can not confirm whether the attack was a random act of violence or an anti-Asian hate crime.         Reco...

To call San Miguel de Mayumo the "Rising Food Mecca of Bulacan " would be a misnomer because San Miguel has been home to many food manufacturers, restaurants and local fastfoods for many, many years contrary to what I had thought about San Miguel before.  Upon seeing for myself the vast talent and  resources this seemingly quite little town has, my opinion changed to a 360-degrees.   San Miguel should be recognized for its culinary background and heritage.                     I learned that if you don't watch what you will eat here, especially the chicharon from Goyena's, you're going to be happily eating your last meal, just kidding!  But that putok-batok-can't-put-it-down goodness and crunchy-till-the-last bite has become a must-buy "pasalubong" from the Bulacan province.  Who can resist this crunchy delicacy that has been featured in a number of travel shows in the country?   

                                  Getting a Schengen visa was probably the worst struggle of all struggles.  It is a nightmare and as much as I hate relating the ordeal that I had to endure to anyone, I just had to share it to you guys.  Now, what I just mean by doing this is that, getting a Schengen visa is not for the faint of heart.  One needs to have the endurance and the unwavering desire to go to Europe to be able to withstand the hurdle at the onset.     At the get go, always remember that it costs money to apply for a visa, both in processing of the paperwork as well as moolah in the bank to present to the embassy of the country you intend to go, to convince them that you have enough resources to stay for a month or more and will definitely be leaving  once the visa expires.  PAPER WORK   Getting documents from government offices here in the Phil...

AirBnBs have become alternatives to hotels lately.  In areas where there are no hotels, one-star or three-star hotels, AirBnBs thrive and have become a source of income for the houseowners or unit owners.  Thank God for tourism and demand for alternative accomodations.   I have tried an AirBnB in Cebu because I was going to see a friend whose accomodation is in Lapu-lapu City.  So I searched for an AirBnB in Mandaue, a middle ground between Lapu-lapu and the main city of Cebu where my relatives are living.   It was a condominium complex and kind of confusing at first to find by myself and the cab that I took from the airport.  But with the help of the guards and the employees of the complex, we were able to locate our unit.   It was very secured, the lock is code-operated and automated.  I felt secured but also scared should I forget the code for the lock.  I'm sure I would be locked outside which did really happen.  So I...

  Nightbirde with the tweet "Rest in Peace" and "Rest in Paradise' was the trending sad news today on Twitter. You might wonder who is Nightbirde, like I did.  And when I saw her photo, I recall watching one of the episodes that I saw her perform in AGT.   Nightbirde or Jane Mascewski, was one of the contestants that became popular in the show America's Got Talent Season 16.  Her courage for joining the competition despite suffering from cancer that had metastasized into her liver and spine make her an inspiration to others.   During her audition, she sang and original creation entitled "It's Okay," which she penned to relate her battle and struggle against her disease.  After delivering her audition peace, judges like Simon Cowell gave her the Golden Buzzer. During that moment, Jane said that  You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy."  This line has become a quotable quote already, because Jane lived ...

  SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19, is a new type of virus under the family of viruses called Coronavirus. Hence giving it the name Novel (or new) COVID-19. Yes, Coronaviruses exist before the discovery of COVID 19. They are a family or a group of viruses that give symptoms such as colds and flu. Before we discuss the new discovered variant, let me explain how these viruses evolve or become a variant. Viruses, generally speaking, have a genetic strand of RNA. It is similar to DNA but not entirely the same. The way the virus replicates and propagate is by attaching itself to a viable cell that will eventually be infected. Upon attachment of the virus to a cell, it will use the genetic material of their target cell by injecting their RNA. A replication will then happen and a new copy of the virus is created. Sometimes, when viruses replicate, there is a chance that it is not the exact copy of that virus. Hence, a mutation happens. To put it in simpler terms, a factory that creates ...

                  A comedian, actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. Volodymyr Zelensky was born on January 25, 1978, at Kryvyy Rih, Ukraine. Who would have thought that Volodymyr Zelensky will one day become a president? Well, you read it right. He is the current president of Ukraine! On April 21, 2019, he was elected as president of Ukraine with an impressive 73 percent of the vote. Being a political novice, his anticorruption platform gained a widespread support. He won a landslide victory over the incumbent Petro Poroshenko in the 2 nd round of the 2019 presidential election. The first year of his service as the president of Ukraine was, same here in the Philippines, not a breeze. On May 20, 2019, Mr. Zelensky was sworn in as president and used his inaugural address, delivered in a mix of Russian and Ukrainian language, to call for national unity. He also announced the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada which is also known as...

  She struts and stunned the judges in the runway! Miss Nigeria, Maristella Okpala, won the Best in National costume in the 70 th Miss Universe held in Eilat, Israel on December 12, 2021. The national costume was made by a Filipino fashion student Kennedy Jhon Gasper. The costume was inspired by the famous traditional masquerade of Nigeria’s Mmanwa tribe. The Mmanwa masquerade costume is designed for ceremonial and festive purposes to celebrate Nigerian cultural heritage to women’s strength. The elaborate ensemble consists of a 3ft sophisticated tribal mask and colorful ancient back cape that portrays a face with beaded headdress. Moreover, the costume is made of African beads, stones, crafts as she stated in her Instagram post. The whole costume has two representations: first, the beautiful Mmanwa who fought tirelessly to stop girl mutilation and child slavery; finally, as this costume was designed for ceremonies and festivals, the colorful patterns and embellishments portray t...

            On December 14 th of 2021, PAGASA announced that a severe tropical storm with an international name “Rai” has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was named “Odette”. At around 10pm that time, the center of severe tropical storm Odette was estimated based on all available data at 890 km East of Mindanao. Odette has an intensity of maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 125 km/h and central pressure of 985 hPa. Its present movement upon detection was heading West Northwestward with a speed of 15 km/h passing Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, over the coastal waters of San Juan in Southern Leyte, Nueva Valencia in Guimaras, and Araceli in Palawan. The typhoon was so severe that the southeastern portion of Eastern Samar and some parts of Mindanao (Dinagat, Eastern portion of Surigao del Norte, Siargao, Bucas Grande Islands and the northern portion of Surigao del Sur) ...

              After 21 years, India finally won its third crown from the 70 th Ms. Universe. Harnaaz Sandhu, a 21-year old model and actress from Punjab, finally brought home the crown. “Overwhelmed because it’s been 21 years since India got Miss Universe crown and it’s happening right now” as what she stated upon receiving the crown. She managed to win over Nadia Ferreira from Paraguay and Lalela Mswane from South Africa. Being true to her passion, Harnaaz Sandhu is a pageant veteran. She started competing at around the age of 17 and has won several titles. She won Miss Chandigarh 2017, Miss Max Energy Star India 2018, Femina Miss India 2019 and the current title of Miss Universe 2021. Aside from being a pageant veteran, she is also known as an actress and model in her country and starred Punjabi films like Yaara Diyan Poo Baran and Bai Ji Kuttange . Despite her busy schedule, she still put her education first. She rece...

Cafe Ilang-ilang is one of Manila's prestigious restaurant and Manila Hotel's pride.  During weekends, Cafe Ilang-ilang is busy with weekend revelers.  The cafe is filled to the brim with families, friends and other groups that want to enjoy good food, ambience and atmosphere.  Like any business, Manila Hotel and her restaurants suffered during the pandemic as all would know.   Fortunately, as restrictions are lifted, Manila Hotel reopens her doors to her regular customers as well as those who have grown tired of their own cooking for the past eighteen or so months.    If you have missed the plethora of international and local food selections at Café Ilang-Ilang, the beloved restaurant brings together Italian, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and even certified Halal dishes under one roof for an Eat-All-You-Can feast. Add to that the popular carving station that normally features Lechon and the US Roast Beef; the Churrasco station where you can h...

Methods of Treatment/Remedies Against Covid Ever since covid hit the entire globe, medical authorities have been using all kinds of measures to prevent it from spreading and keep people away from hospitals.  However, after two years,  finding a solution against covid has proven to be a big challenge.  Here in the Philippines, the number of cases per day has increased to five digits already.  And the only solution the government has come up with is to contain people's movements by using the letter codes, ECQ, GCQ, MECQ.  Each has a set of guidelines that must be observed by people as they observe each coded status.  However, people have been innovative in dealing with the virus and some of them have resorted to the following methods of treatment.     Steam Inhalation Hardly an innovation but this is an age-old method of treatment, although seldom done because of prevalence of medical institutions and medical professionals.  Inhaling steam...

Ramadan 2021 officially ends on May 12, with the traditional Feast of the Breaking of the Fast otherwise known as Eid Al Fit'r.    During this occasion, the Islamic community celebrate it by prayers, gift-giving and a lavish feast.  Well, after fasting from sun up to sun down for 30 days, one would really look forward to a sumptuous and grand party, don't you think?      The Halal buffet menu that's prepared for this occasion   For this celebration, The Manila Hotel's Cafe Ilang-ilang has put together a Halal-kitchen certified buffet meal for our Islamic brethren.  But before I continue further, let me first give you a brief background on Halal food.  Basically, Halal food is prepared following a set of Islamic dietary laws and regulations that determine what is permissible, lawful and clean. Any dish can be halal, as long as the meat used is religiously slaughtered and no pork or alcohol is involved. The Manila Hotel’s Café Ilang Ilang has ...

  She became popular because of her distinctive voice, and was often referred to as the Karen Carpenter of the Philippines because she really almost sounds like Karen Carpenter of the famous Carpenter Duo from the US.   Claire De La Fuente became popular in the late '70s after releasing singles that became hits like, "Sayang," Nakaw na Pag-ibig," and Minsan-minsan."  Along with her equally gifted contemporaries Imelda Papin and Eva Eugenio,  Claire performed in concerts with other reknowned musicians of her time, such as Rico J. Puno, who was known for his macho-playboy image and became known as the 'King of Tagalog Songs, wherein Claire de la Fuente was his female counterpart. Claire de la Fuente had a lot of titles during her heydays as a singer, performer and recording artist.  She was hailed as "Jukebox Queen," alongside Imelda Papin, who was touted to be her archrival in the music business but actually is a good friend of hers.  Because of her...

Banks and other financial institutions require our personal information and other contact details when we open an account with them.  This is part of the security procedure in order to ensure that they will be dealing with the account holder only.   Some of us find it very cumbersome when banks have many verification methods before they process our requests, even if it is simply an SOP in order to prevent phishing and not be victimized by hackers.  Phishers and hackers have become very creative in their trade lately.  They write letters through our emails informing us of irregularities in our accounts; they also provide a fraudulent link that will allegedly allow us to check that irregularity and wham, they get access to our account, use the money there and before we know it, our savings is gone.  Scary; right? 

                               In keeping with the long-standing annual tradition that has been in place since pre-war times, The Manila Hotel will still hold a New Year Countdown this year albeit in a different space. This year’s welcome to the New Year will be done virtually through a Zoom viewing. with amazing raffle prizes to be given away.  Artists like Lea Salonga, Kuh Ledesma, world-renowned soprano Rachelle Gerodias, Korean baritone Byeong-In Park, Richard Reynoso, UP Concert Chorus, and others, will be joining The Manila Hotel in this virtual countdown event to mark the coming of the New Year.  Guests and customers of The Manila Hotel can join the Zoom party on December 31 from 10pm to watch artists share messages of love and hope through songs, words of encouragement from the hotel’s president Atty Joey Lina, and a chance to win the amazing prizes at stake. To join, anyone with a purchase...

It is not always that one gets to see a mountain slope that is covered with all sorts of flowers, some of them I can't even pronounce, but what a stunning view it is.  I instantly thanked the Creator for giving humans such lovely forms of nature upon seeing that breathtaking sight.  This is what welcomes guests upon arriving at Northern Blossom up in the mountain of Atok, Benguet.   Location of  Northern Blossom: Northern Blossom is located up in Barangay Sayangan, in Atok, Benguet, along the Halsema Highway.   Halsema is that highway that you'd come out of Baguio through until the Municipality of Atok. It is a particularly great ride if your favorite cruising songs are playing in the background and you are overlooking a tranquil mountainside in the early morning with faint sunrise lighting up the early dawn.  And the cold morning breeze envelopes your face...you'd wish the journey would be neverending. Entrance Fee to Northern Blossom: Adults - P...