~manila, you're not that ugly

manilarat signing off.

manilarat — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:36:44 +0000

Been dreaming of wide open spaces and clean fresh air everyday for a good while, and now I get to smile in my heart and say it for real: it’s all happening.

Am moving on to literally “greener pastures” in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and will no longer be a true blue manilarat.

Thank you for the visits through the years and most especially for the kind words. Will maintain this site as a tourism jump off point to keep fighting the good fight to #helpDOT, but do hope you also join me on my journey towards sustainable living in MyNuvaliHome.com:

I dream of a simple home, a home that keeps me home.
I dream of a home that’s pretty.
I dream of a home that makes me happy.
I dream of a home that would make retreats and vacations unneeded, because the clarity and deep joy that I find in them, I find at home, everyday.
I dream of a home that has both silence and laughter.
I dream of a home that has love.

My Nuvali Home: my first big adult commitment.

It’s not just a house; it’s a big YES to a lifestyle shift– to more quiet everydays, filled with meaning, in resonance with the quiet shift to a healthier, more conscious lifestyle that values and always upholds what truly matters: family, people, ordinary lives, joy in the everyday, helping others, helping who needs help now. It’s one that requires a lot of listening, and a lot of path-clearing… one that is awakened, awakening and awakens.

This is the sustainable life, this is what My Nuvali Home is about.

green architecture guide for my first house!

manilarat — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:08:48 +0000

Was so happy to get finally get my copy yesterday!

First heard about this book from my friend Pompet, who says it’s his bible in building sustainable homes in Palawan.

The author, Johan van Lengen, founded the Bio-architecture and Intuitive Technology (TIBA) School in the Mata Atlantica (coastal jungle) of Brazil. The book is easy to follow, very practical but comprehensive, with sustainable design guides and zoning plans for communities (not just individual houses).

The reference page at the back has this Old Chinese saying:

When a king dies, his people say: “He did this; he did that…”

But when a great king dies, they say: “We did everything ourselves.”

Wow. Hope to use its ideas eventually as I bring to life my dream of an eco village, but also now, on a smaller scale, as I get started on building my first home! So exciting.

Other pegs for a green home from modresdes.com:

Special thanks to my good friend, Marns, for the book!

I think I really am moving to Sta. Rosa…

manilarat — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:53:25 +0000

My plans of relocating to Palawan and getting involved in sustainable tourism have taken a backseat (for now), and am realizing that the work that I have and want to do is still in the mainstream. If it is to push for a real sustainable lifestyle, I must first live it in order to be able to talk about it. And so I’ve been exploring the farming alternative for when my lease expires in February, ideally somewhere near Manila, with Tagaytay as the best bet…

A few weeks ago, my brother gave me a grand idea: instead of moving to Tagaytay to be a farmer, why not just get a small house in Nuvali, and live the life I want, in a way that’s personally sustainable for me: I can bike all I want everyday, have a small outdoor area for my art and permaculture, and make a living in real estate, selling the same lifestyle I’m building for myself– the sustainable Nuvali lifestyle with lots of wide open spaces and green green green everywhere. Genius!!!

When Nuvali was launched in 2007 as Ayala’s big city project in Sta. Rosa, I was so in love with it. It was the first time I heard of any concrete plans to build a sustainable community in scale, and I was so happy that such a vision was being supported and implemented by someone that meant business, with real funds and real energy from people who believed in it. I was even happier that people my age–my peers–were excitedly buying in!

I’ve been living in a 50-sqm loft for almost a year now, and if only this had an outdoor space, I’d have no complaints, so a small house surrounded by a garden will be just perfect for me.

The main hesitation was the isolation from everyone else, but Sta. Rosa is just a few minutes away from Alabang, and I’ll still have access to city conveniences (there’s National Bookstore in Nuvali, haha, priorities!).

Mom and Dad were also more supportive of this plan than the farming option, especially if they’ll just be in Tagaytay, and they went with me last week to check out the Avida site itself, where there are house and lot options for sale:

It was raining so we just drove around to get a feel of the community…

The houses are identical (there are three models to choose from), and they have the modern-minimalist feel of sleek clean lines, but I like that they used earthy tones to lend a sense of warmth to the place. A purely white house makes for a too sanitary life think–yey to color in our everydays!

If I choose to buy now, I’ll be able to move in by next summer, and I’ll be living in my own house in a community that I feel safe in, but is still far from noise, pollution and traffic! Sounds heavenly wahhhhhh!

This is one of the standard two-bedroom houses…

I’m interested in the most basic of them all, like the one below.. just 53 sqm floor area, and about 120sqm lot area…

I can build a fence around it, have a small lookout garden/patio and a carport… but most important of all, it’ll be my own house! That’s one more thing off my 30-before-30 list, hehe!

Of course I would love love love to have my dear friends as my neighbors… If any of you are also considering a shift to a healthier lifestyle, this is it!! Xavier will start its first schoolyear 2012 for co-ed, right in front of Avida, so no need to worry for your kids or future kids’ schooling. There’s already St. Scholastica’s, La Salle and Ateneo Graduate School in Sta. Rosa, plus plans for UST and Everest Academy. There’s also a Waldorf school inside Georgia Club next door to Nuvali. For work, there are a number of IT companies and call centers already operational, plus the almost 20 industrial parks in Canlubang. There’s also Alabang for more options. Teehee… tara!

Here’s something more about Nuvali, from my old post in April 2008, “Nuvali: where I want my friends to buy“:

I pass by the main Nuvali entrance along the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road on the way to Tagaytay almost twice a week, and I always find myself smiling, almost like a mother in patient admiration of a child as he comes of age, thinking that in a few years, there will be a thriving, empowered community living on that exact spot.I’ve been in love with Nuvali since I first heard about it in September 2007, and I’ve already decided that it will be my future home and the home of my kids and their kids.

Why Nuvali?

1. Offhand, it’s really because I believe in the project.
It’s not just another piece of land converted into livable space for houses. Much like a visionary company with inspiring people behind it, Nuvali is a project with soul, and it shows. There is a real commitment to responsible living, which is not something you hear property developers in the Philippines rally everyday.

2. It is a responsible venture, with long-term quality life at its core.

As more and more people in the world clamor for greener lifestyles, it makes me proud and excited that in our own country, someone (or some group, i.e. Ayala) is doing his fair share in not just conducting business responsibly, but in providing ways–concretely and with the long-term in mind–for people to also live their lives responsibly. This means that we, as individual citizens, can also directly participate in this green revolution by living the green lifestyle ourselves, and living it not just in bits and pieces, but wholly and collectively!

3. It offers a shot at holistic, responsible living to those willing to work for it.
Living in Nuvali is not cheap, but it’s not incredulously expensive either. We were very happy to service one OFW client, and his wife and three kids based in Laguna, as they excitedly made their lot purchase. Bank financing is readily available, with options to pay in 10 years or more.

More recent updates: A wakeboarding complex like the one in CamSur will be put up within Nuvali itself, hopefully operational by December 2010. That’s in two months!!! Woohoo! Imagine going out for a short bike ride, and having a wide lake (and hot muscled boys perhaps) waiting for your viewing pleasure… ! Plans are also in place for biking trails, a bird sanctuary, tree nurseries, and a number of open fields (called “The Fields” ) for soccer, frisbee, etc. So exciting!!

Taraaaaa! Neighbors anyone??

can Boracay be saved?

manilarat — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:06:08 +0000

While many believe that Boracay is a lost cause, my love for the island will always push me hopeful.

So so very glad to read there’s now an ordinance to ban smoking on the beach. Hope to see more positive actions like this from the newly launched Boracay Beach Management Program (BBMP), “a long-term project to address the island’s environmental concerns brought by the booming tourism industry” chaired by Boracay’s very mayor himself, John Yap.

month 2 on raw food

manilarat — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:07:18 +0000

The hardest thing about eating raw? Not having options for meeting up with friends! Having a “restrictive” diet restricts my social life, huhu!

Think about it– if you take food and drinks out of your activity options, what’s left? Maybe a bit of sports, work, movies, and… well that’s mostly it. But what are sports, work and movies without food? Never realized that so much of what we do really revolves around food. When someone visits you at home, you serve merienda and juice or coffee at the very least. You go watch a movie, there’s popcorn or shake. You watch a game, there’s beer and pizza. When you’re willingly choosing not to eat what maybe 90% of the population eats–coffee, rice, milk, meat, chips, beer– you are also making a stand not to participate in or to stay away from activities that involve any of these! It’s hard to stay raw when everyone else around you is salivating over grilled baby back ribs, fried tawilis, or hot fudge chocolate!

The first time I got to try being 100% raw for a sustained period was last August when I visited my friend Pi in Bahay Kalipay, Palawan. Six days on raw. I posted pictures of that 6-day Raw food detox if you want to take a look. Since then, I’ve been trying to infuse raw into my everydays as much as I can, with very encouraging results with the green smoothie…

…and not-so-encouraging ones from experiments like this pumpkin soup…

…which was a mishmash of all sorts of leftover veggies: arugula, cucumber, bell peppers…

The squash itself was quite a struggle to peel.. I need to hang out in the kitchen with veteran cooks more often! Haha.

I’ve put away my stove, and made room for lots of bananas and green leafy veggies:

I’ve also been very happy with my everyday breakfast salad: bananas (saba), mangoes (tried green this time), and avocados (if in season), plus flax seeds or raw sunflower seeds. Great way to start the day, and it’s actually made me get up from bed earlier than usual!

Promising days ahead, especially now that i have an organic veggie supplier in the neighborhood, YAY!

Bahay Kalipay – a house of healing

manilarat — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:31:19 +0000

Welcome to Bahay Kalipay, a house of healing in Palawan, where I found myself on a quiet inner journey for six days barely a month ago.

There’s something about going barefoot that invites opening up, a baring of sorts..

…and this daily habit of having to take off one’s shoes and walk with naked feet on the floor is simple but it does what it is meant to do… which is to disarm, interrupt, like a cymbal clanging in a church, or maybe more like a flute in a library. It is strange but not unpleasant, maybe even friendly…

Living in a communal setting also disarms– especially for someone who values private space and the comforts of familiar noise or absolute silence.

I went to Palawan to visit my old friend, Pompet, and still no day passes that I don’t go back to those six days and wonder what really happened there.

When you go to a place expecting to live simply and commune with nature, you prepare yourself by leaving behind your city habits… As someone who has no attachment to TV, newspapers, radio and magazines, I didn’t expect to have to adjust much.

I went with a passive mindset–I was there to observe, I was just going to watch.

The days went by quietly, and to a certain extent, uneventful…

There was no novelty to shock or animate something dormant… The Inner Dance meditation was new, but it was very pleasant, and familiar…

Even the raw food aspect of the retreat–nothing but fruits and uncooked vegetables for 6 days–was easy to adapt to, it was a joy for me to eat so healthily.

I felt I had no need for healing, and let myself get comfortable believing that…

Maybe with no expectations, the true healing I needed happened.. quietly, without drama, without external hints.

Something I’ve been asking for this whole year–clarity–came to me so quietly soon after my trip, and I now realize that the search for clarity has always been the search for honesty. To have clarity is to have the path cleared, so that one can see himself wholly and truly, and hear his own voice, follow his own rhythm.

What comes next is the courage to uphold that truth, to pursue it, not without fear, for fear is part and parcel of life, but to press on in spite of those fears.

I’ve always wanted to be brave, and here it is–my most trying test: Do I have the courage to be who I truly am, and also to let go of who I am not?

* * *

Pompet is Pi, healer and in more ways than one, father of Bahay Kalipay.

Bahay Kalipay, as “a self-sustainable community of healers, artists, gardeners, teachers, and earth-conscious people from around the world, some permanent, some in transit,” is a retreat space that offers Healing, Raw Food, Detox, Yoga in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. It is also the main retreat center of an ancient Filipino Spiritual Healing Practice which is today called Inner Dance.

Bahay Kalipay, Lot 38E, Hagedorn Road Extension, San Pedro, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.
* Pi Villaraza: +63 9994512765
* Daniw Arazola: +63 09081391139

Dreams are underway to build a community of healing further north, this time on the mountains of Palawan, which makes my heart leap quietly, especially when I liken it to Tolkien’s Rivendell, The House of Healing which was home to Elrond, Lord of the Elves:

Frodo was now safe in the Last Homely House east of the Sea. That house was, as Bilbo had long ago reported, “a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep, or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.” Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear and sadness.

Imagine living in a place of abundant healing energy such as this:

“But it feels impossible, somehow, to feel gloomy or depressed in this place. I feel I could sing, If I knew the right song for the occasion,” said Pippin.

“I feel like singing myself,” laughed Frodo. “Though at the moment I feel more like eating and drinking!”

Bacungan, Palawan.

What do you see?

View more photos of Bahay Kalipay on flickr.

(Images of Rivendell and Lord of the Rings quotes are fromThe Rivendell Image Gallery)

I’m going on a 5-day boat ride in El Nido!

manilarat — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:36:22 +0000

Will finally be going on this 5-day boating expedition I’ve been dreaming about since July..woohoo!

(Image from Tao Philippines)

I came across Tao Expeditions while researching for a trip to El Nido, and raved to friends that it was exactly how I wanted to explore Palawan:

Open Expeditions take groups of independent travellers between El Nido and Coron through the Linapacan Group or vice versa. This is our playground of over 200 islands and covers a 150km journey through the most remote region in Palawan, connecting Coron and El Nido.

Was so downcast that I missed the voyage season by a hairline (boats don’t go out to sea during the rainy season of July to October), but all is fair to those who wait: Am now good to go on my first ever island expedition in November, yahooo!

More about the boys behind Tao from their website, www.taophilippines.com:

Tao Philippines was founded in 2005 by Eddie Agamos Brock, a native from the Northern Province of Luzon. After 10 years of extensive exploration of the remote provinces of the Philippines, he finally chose to settle base in the Northern Palawan islands. His friend and cofounder Jack Foottit, a British architecture student, designer of the business and build up the projects. ‘We wanted to explore deep into the island culture of this vast archipelago, and experience real island living. This is one of the most beautiful regions in the Philippines. For us this province is a playground of hundreds of tropical islands, nobody comes up here, over the years of our expeditions we have never run into other travelers.’

We have built up a strong team who take pride in working for Tao. Some we met years before we set up our business, those who guided us on our first ever expeditions to the islands that we fell in love with. We grew into a large family, always on the move between the islands like sea gypsies. We have our Coron base Tao cafe which is also our booking office. In El Nido we have Tao beach bar, which is a hang out for our travelers.

Even though the Expedition project has been a success, we are not thinking of expanding into more of a bigger scale. We believe that what we have is special, a handful of travelers each year is enough to share our magical finds.

Am super excited!!! Mostly for two reasons:

1.) It’s one tourism practice that seems sustainable on all counts and I want to see it for myself..

2.) and I’m finally going to see El Nido!! Oh wow! Palawan has always been the tourism goldmine for me in terms of what it offers by default– nature at its finest–but I’ve only gone as far as Puerto Princesa and Sabang. A friend lovingly describes El Nido as “nature showing off”, and swears it is by far the best of what the Philippines has to offer. Ayayayay, can’t wait!

The joys of living in a beautiful country! Ang ganda-ganda ng Pilipinas!

hooray for wooden toys!

manilarat — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:20:46 +0000

Don’t you think it’s so hard to find a meaningful toy to give kids these days?

It’s always been a problem for me–I don’t buy into plastic toys and the PS2 generation–and come kiddie birthdays or baptisms, I always get torn between giving something I’d rather not give or just giving nothing.

Was so glad, then, to have met Tes Sobeng, a Waldorf mom who makes wooden toys for children (and children-at-heart!). She had access to wood craftsmen in Paete, Laguna and took it upon herself to make toys that resonated with love and encouraged imagination.

Do you notice the mini palayok (clay pot) on the shelf? I have so many fond memories playing with clay pots as a child!

Tes has an assortment of toys, but mostly for kids of school age. Most adhere to the Waldorf ideals of age-appropriateness and imaginative play.

Here’s one toy I took home for myself, inspired by a tansan (bottlecap) spinning wheel usually played in the provinces:

Hayyyy, what joy in being a child!

* * *
You can look at Tes’s toy catalog on her website, toys and stuff, or contact her through
0908-492-3953 / 912-4056 or tesmsobeng@yahoo.com

my travel photos: Camarines Sur in 2 days

manilarat — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 07:10:10 +0000

Let’s #helpDOT!

In February 2008, my friend Heidiklum decided to treat the girls to a weekend of sports, healthy eating, and qt with friends and family in Camarines Sur. We packed our bags and slept ourselves silly on Isarog Buslines’ Lazyboy Extreme, which had such comfortable seats! Not even an hour in Camsur and one of us was already saying: “I’m so excited to go home so I can sleep on the lazy boy again!”

5am Saturday, we arrived at Lagonoy, our homebase for the weekend, where we feasted on laing, homemade peanut butter, fishes, tapang usa, complete with sing-all-you-can videoke

Other stops:
Lagonoy Farm — carabao ride, buko fest, tree climbing, airsoft
Aguirangan Island – sunset bonfire with trusty Granma
Mt. Isarog – photo and wishing op on one of Bicol’s summits
and CWC, the trip highlight — for first time wakeboarding woohooo! pero booo, hanggang kneeboard lang kami! http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/

farm life at lagonoy

aguirangan island

sun sets behind mt. isarog

harvested sugarcane on isarog

www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com

Camarines Sur in 2 days
(Posted on February 5, 2008)
Weekend in Naga, Pili, and Laganoy, Camarines Sur

Travel time to Naga from Manila: 9pm Friday night to 4:30am Saturday
via Isarog Bus, Lazyboy Extreme (the best!)

You can also view the album on multiply: – February 2008

my travel photos: not your typical Visayas

manilarat — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 06:21:31 +0000

Let’s #helpDOT!

Where to go in Roxas, Capiz, Boracay, Iloilo, Guimaras, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Bohol, and Cebu in the Visayas region:

ROXAS Port, Mindoro

Ivisan, CAPIZ

JAWILI Falls (7 basins), Tangalan, Aklan

BAKHAWAN ECO PARK, Aklan

Mt. Luho, Boracay

Pineapple Plantation, Passi City, Iloilo

Bacolod City Hall

MABINAY SPRINGS, Negros

Central Azucera de Bais (CAB), Bais City

ALEGRE BEACH, Cebu

Ang ganda ng Pilipinas – not your typical Visayas
(Posted on September 16, 2008)

Pictures taken by Hussein and Travis for the DOT’s Island Paradise Adventure Race (IPAR) Project in December 2005

Includes:

Roxas
Capiz
Boracay
Iloilo
Guimaras
Bacolod
Dumaguete
Bohol
Cebu

You can also view the album on multiply: Ang ganda ng Pilipinas – not your typical Visayas – December 2005

View pictures of Luzon sites which were also part of the race (Angono, Rizal, Paete, Laguna, Lipa, Batangas, Calapan and Puerto Galera, Mindoro).

my travel photos: not your typical Luzon

manilarat — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:34:26 +0000

Let’s #helpDOT!

I was part of the organizing team for the Island Paradise Adventure Race (IPAR) – Visayas Leg, an amazing government project to help boost local tourism in December 2005. With one-million pesos up for grabs, thirty backpacker teams raced across Luzon and Visayas on foot, relying on the various modes of public transport–LRT, buses, jeepneys, tricycles, RO-ROs, ferries, etc. It was my first foray into tourism and government work, and one of the biggest gifts I took from it, aside from meeting so many adventure racers, some of whom grew to be celebrities (Everest boys and girls!), was the direct interaction it gave with the quiet beauty of the “unpopular” and often overlooked areas of the country.

Shown below are various pics around Luzon taken by my friends Hussein and Travis, who were part of the committee that previewed the sites to be included in the race.

PETROGLYPHS Cave, Angono:

The Pacheco home in Morong, Rizal:

Mang Panoy’s Woodcarving, Paete, Laguna:

Pottery-making, Capati Farm, San Jose, Batangas:

I’ve never been to Puerto Galera, and didn’t realize I had these pics for reference! I dreamt of it recently, and hahaha, my dream Galera doesn’t come close to the real deal:

Ang ganda ng Pilipinas – not your typical Luzon
(Posted on September 16, 2008)

Pictures taken by Hussein and Travis for the DOT’s Island Paradise Adventure Race (IPAR) Project in December 2005

Includes:
Angono, Rizal
Paete, Laguna
Lipa, Batangas
Calapan, Mindoro
Puerto Galera, Mindoro

You can also view the album on multiply: Ang ganda ng Pilipinas – not your typical Luzon – December 2005
Pictures of Visayas sites which were also part of the race (Roxas, Capiz, Boracay, Iloilo, Guimaras, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Bohol, Cebu) coming next!

my travel photos: At home in Iloilo

manilarat — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:37:22 +0000

Let’s #helpDOT!

I visited my bestfriend Jason Gonzales in Iloilo in March 2009. Jae is my go-to guy for anything related to politics (he’s a governance geek! and I say that lovingly), and he just got elected as Iloilo City Councilor last May (yey!) . Am sure I’ll be visiting Iloilo more often in the next three years, but it was fun reminiscing my first trip to Manduriao, Lambunao, Miag-ao, and Guimaras through these pics:

The Mango Tree — Jason’s garden resto and my home for a week

A lovely ancestral home turned school in the heart of the city…

My first cockfight!

Guimaras is a short boat-ride away from Iloilo. It’s the land of supposedly the best mangoes in the country, but we couldn’t find any to bring home!

Iloilo scenery
(Posted on May 28, 2009)

My bestfriend Jason took me in for a week last March, and showed me around his home for the past four years– Iloilo and beyond.. Was especially interesting because Jae is such a socialite (Rotary president at 27!), and he rubbed elbows with people who ran cockfight coliseums and Waldorf schools set in vast farmlands…

Highlight of the trip was definitely being shown off as Jae’s bestfriend, to family and friends who love him so dearly. I can say that on my first visit to Iloilo, even if only by association, naramdaman ko na kung paano magmahal ang Ilonggo.. kay namit!

March 24-29, 2009
Manduriao, Lambunao, and Miag-ao, Iloilo
with a day trip to Guimaras

You can also view the album on multiply: Iloilo scenery – March 2009

my travel photos: Ziplining with Mt. Apo in Davao

manilarat — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:49:16 +0000

#helpDOT

Imagine waking up to this in the morning…

So beautiful.

Last July 2009, I got to spend a few days with my childhood friend and her family in the mountains of Davao del Sur–was the first time I truly understood why great men of prayer would go up the mountains to be silent.

We stayed in their family vacation home-turned-adventure zone, Camp Sabros, where I got to zipline and rappel down a 100-foot tree!

It was also my first time in Mindanao… and I couldn’t have asked for a better welcome to that land of sun and rare rains than this smiling mountain!

Ziplining with Mt. Apo in Davao
(Posted on July 9, 2009)

Camp Sabros, one of the most charming places I’ve visited in the Philippines–for the quiet it offers, and the sense of grandeur and adventure all at once

Barangay Kapatagan, Digos City, Davao del Sur
June 2009

* * *

Excerpts from My first time in Mindanao
(Posted on July 9, 2009)

I was always scared to go to Mindanao without a local to take me around, so when Maan came home for the first time since college grad (7 years ago! wahhh), I took the chance to visit her family’s home in Davao with her for the weekend…

For some reason I packed for the beach and ended up wearing layers of leggings and board shorts to combat the freeeeezing cold!! We were 3,900ft above sea level (Baguio is 4,400ft, but I swear I was FREEZING!!) in Camp Sabros, a super beautiful retreat place/resort put up by Maan’s family in the mountains of Davao del Sur, almost near Mt. Apo, tallest mountain in the Phils.

Trip highlights: “flying” over a pine tree forest, rappelling down a 100-foot tree! Was looking forward to all-you-can-eat mangosteen, but it wasn’t in season (boo! summer daw dapat), so made do with pigging out on durian off the street…oh yummmmm….
:):)

You can also view the album on multiply: Ziplining with Mt. Apo in Davao – July 2009

Read my post, “flying” in Camp Sabros, Davao.

my travel photos: UP Los Banos, Kusina Salud, San Pablo Lake

manilarat — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:35:27 +0000

Inspired by the momentum of #helpDOT, decided to organize my travel pics that are scattered all over multiply and facebook. Starting with my trip to UP Los Banos, Kusina Salud, and San Pablo Lake in Laguna last July 2009:

UPLB’s Fertility tree–one of the visual highlights of the trip:

It’s massive!

And of course, the surprise was this big Manansala right in the cafeteria of IRRI–I hope the people who eat there realize they’re in dining the company of greatness.

UP Los Banos, Kusina Salud, San Pablo Lake
(Posted on July 13, 2009)

Spent yesterday morning breathing in fresh air and resting my eyes, ears and mind in UP Los Banos, an amazing campus (the biggest in the Philippines!) about an hour from Manila. Was just green green green everywhere (along with bugs bugs bugs, but that shouldn’t deter anyone)! Was gifted with the best tourguide ever, Jon, who lived in LB for two years and knew all the secret nooks and crannies that truly make a place home.

We braved the Viaje del Sol agenda (what a fanatstic tourism initiative, more on this later) and picked out Kusina Salud for lunch, and the tour of the lakes of San Pablo for dessert.

July 12, 2009, Sunday
U.P. Los Banos
Kusina Salud, garden restaurant of Patis Tesoro in Bgy. Sta. Cruz, San Pablo, Laguna
Sampaloc Lake, San Pablo City, Laguna
Pandin Lake, San Pablo, Laguna — touted as San Pablo’s best kept secret

Just found out you can embed multiply albums on any website–so cool! Just wait for the pics to load, takes a while:

You can also view the album on multiply: UP Los Banos, Kusina Salud, San Pablo Lake – July 2009

paintings i wanted to take home from ManilArt 2010

manilarat — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:48:30 +0000

I wasn’t planning on buying art when I set out for SMX last Sunday, but wowowee, seeing so much beautiful colors on canvas just couldn’t stop me from (literally) reaching for the paintings that jumped at me! Art gallery owners were friendly too, which was nice and encouraging, especially for an art newbie like me.

My philosophy? Good art is like wine. You like what you like.

My top picks:

Rovi Salegumba’s 4 works each depicting the seasons: spring, fall, winter, summer
Oil on canvas, 2010

I’m a yellow and sun girl, so was partial to the sun:

Would’ve been great to have the complete 4 but the red piece was taken by the time I got to the Tala Gallery booth!

Next was Carlo Ongchangco’s surreal balloon piece from the Village Art Gallery. One look, even from afar, and I knew it was a homage to Alice in Wonderland– when I saw the title up close, had a self-satisfied smirk on my face (very bad, I know)

“Follow Fish, Find Alice”, Acrylic on canvas, 2010, 36×48

We met Sam Galvez-Lorenzo, the gallery’s very accommodating owner and also an artist herself, and she patiently answered all my questions about the paintings and their artists. I think most of my top picks came from her gallery–too bad it’s all the way in Alabang Town Center. Would be great to be able to visit and revisit my favorite artists on her line up!

Sam said Ronante Maratas (below) is a young artist, and it shows– his works are so playful–something that tugged at my heart really

“Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather”, Acrylic on canvas, 2010, 48×36

“When the Sun Sleeps”, Acrylic on canvas, 2010, 40×30

For overall delight, I knew Ronante Maratas had me, but the Village Art Gallery was just stop 2 in our 5-hour walk through the fair…

This was a surprise–a small work by singer Cynthia Alexander. Really loved the disarming, disrupting feel it had, but just wish it was done by hand (not digitally)…

“Snowflake”, Mixed media/digital, 2009, 20×15.6

Of course, who can resist the allure of a “National Artist”? When it was time for the Gallery of Davao’s booth, I was completely starstruck to be face-to-face with an Imao that was actually up for sale!

National artist Dr. Abdulmari Asia Imao
“Sarimanok Painting Series”, Acrylic on canvas, 2008, 3ftx4ft

It was a look-only-no-touch love affair, as the sarimanok was well beyond my budget…

Next to grab me were works of Bacolod artist, Junjun Montelibano. There’ just something about the surreal that moves me, or awakens something in me:

“Check Point”, Oil on canvas, 2010, 48×32
Gallery Orange (Bacolod)

Candy Store”, Oil on canvas, 2010, 48×32

This puzzle painting by Leo Velasco was a welcome mental exercise:

“I Want Your Soul to Open Up for Me”, Acrylic, oil and object on canvas, 2010, 48×72

Did you figure it out? We got until “Maybe I need to be honest to you fin…???… I want”. Any ideas?

Was on the lookout for my favorites from last year: Marcel Antonio…

…and Rom Villaseran, who had this lone work for the whole fair (maybe some got sold on the first two days)!

Other happy finds:

These moving sculptures were such a joy! Already sold for P300,000 each, but with people still lining up as third reserve, just in case! Was insane!

Gabriel Barredo
“Tree of Life”, Mixed media
Art Verite

“Prosperity”, Mixed media

Other sculptures I liked–by the Cacnios:

Ferdinand Cacnio
“Timeless”, welded brass in corten steel, 2010, 22x16x12
Galerie Astra

Michael Cacnio
“Trio up-float”, brass, 2010, 30x24x7.5
Paseo Gallery

“Discharge”, brass, 2010, 72x17x12

Mm Yu’s photographs at the Manila Contemporary booth were also interesting– offered a bigger look at urban culture by way of sweeping, collective strokes.

Of note too was the fair’s one and only multimedia/installation art:

Poklong Anading’s “Furry Tongue”, 5:09-minute video loop/cocoa powder, water, wood panel, and video projector, 2010
P25,000 (edition of 5)

David Griggs’ “How’s My Politics? Tel. 666,2010″, Glass with bullet holes/smoky mountain tint/aluminum frame/silicon, 2010, 170cm x 200cm x 120cm
P216,000

Personally, I’m not a fan, but I appreciate it for the multi-sensory dimension it lent to the whole fair…Hopefully we’ll see more varieties of installation art in the coming years?

What made the event most successful was the personal interaction it offered among visitors, gallery owners, and even artists themselves. Here’s painter Angel Moreno, for example, who excitedly went up to us to narrate his lifestory and inspiration for his art:

Bumped into my old teacher, Erwin Leano, who had one of his works on display at the Boston Gallery. We got to catch up not over coffee, but over a Mahilum!

My BIG starstruck moment was definitely talking engagedly to Lynn of Gallery Y, who I found out half an hour later was the daughter-in-law of Romulo Olazo. She asked if I wanted to meet him, and like a shy puppy, I hid behind my friend’s back and said no thank you.

Sayang, but I did enjoy a mild paparrazi moment:

Hihi Can you spot him?

All in all, it was another Sunday well-spent. The ManilArt2010 is a great gift to the Filipino artist and art fan, and definitely something we should rally behind in full force.

View more pictures of the ManilArt 2010 on flickr.
Read my post on ManilArt 2009.
View pictures of ManilArt 2009.
* * *

The second annual Manila art fair was held in SMX from July 30-August, and based on short exchanges with gallery owners, it seemed successful enough to do a repeat next year! Event details and pictures can be viewed on ArtePinas, including auction results. Check out Annie Cabigting’s “After Yves Klein”, an oil painting which st=tarted bidding at P220,000 and closed at P930,000!

how to #helpDOT and philippine tourism

manilarat — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:50:01 +0000

There’s a twitter “movement” now to #helpDOT, and not surprisingly, many people are jumping in and seeing how they can get involved.

It started with a post from Carlos Celdran about a tour he did with new Tourism Undersecretary @entengromano, which led to @TeamManila making tourism posters for free:

Bloggers journeyingjames and otherworldpixie made their own posts of support, not to mention countless tweeters, and voila, now we have one viral volunteer campaign for Philippine tourism created in an instant.

DOT Undersecretary Enteng Romano tweeted back: “Still thinking of how 2 harness d outpouring of volunteerism 4 DOT. Hope to come up w some ideas 2moro.”

Let’s hope this to be the start of a real dialogue for tourism development!

I dug up my old post on how to help tourism back in 2005, fresh from my Spain trip and right when I started manilarat:

I am a great fan of the potential of the Philippines (and of the Filipino). I was born and raised in Manila, but there has always been the curiosity and eagerness to explore our culture through travel, conversations, daily interactions with people.

A month ago I left the family business and started working for the Department of Tourism. On the premise that I was there #1 to help tourism, and #2 to find out how government works from the inside.

I left the DOT after the Island Paradise Adventure Race Project (which is still held every year, but under the Development Bank of the Philippines now), and my biggest take away then was that for what I saw as the necessary work for Philippine tourism, the place to start was not the national government, which I felt had very limited authoritative power development-wise.

Five years and a new Tourism Law after, I don’t know if things are still the same.

But for sure, in our own circles, there are lots to do, and do now! Quoting from that same post in 2005:

everyone always has something to say about tourism. i know i always romanticized it, holding up high “how i think things can be improved.”

many ideas–bright ones at that–get lost in implementation. and im learning firsthand that most of the time, no one really wants to be accountable for implementation. especially in government.

coming up with a great project and starting it is actually doable.sustaining it is not, or at the least, it is difficult. according to a colleague who’s been with the DOT for more than 10 years, projects fail mostly because of politics– everyone wants to run his own show; no one wants to carry on flagship projects of previous officials.

fact of life.

so what’s a private citizen to do?
i say sell the country in his own circle… be a walking salesman of what it means to be a filipino, to live in the philippines. work within one’s reach, with what you have control over, and stop barking at the government (it’s not only exhausting, it’s really just not effective).

statistics show that word of mouth is still one of the preferred modes of securing information about our country. we should capitalize on this. that’s why i have such faith in blogs and travel writing!

Let’s hope things have taken a turn for the better in our government and #helpDOT, but let’s also do our part as private citizens! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

be a Buddhist monk for three months

manilarat — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:51:22 +0000

If you ever wanted to learn Buddhism, this would be the way to do it!

(Image from the FSG site)

Break free. Breathe
Detour. Detox.
Retreat. Renew.

We invite you to three months of a simple way of life in the Chan (Zen) tradition learning the religion, language, culture, arts, diet, and philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism.

Discover and experience not just a new perspective in life but also, more importantly, about yourself, in a meditative lifestyle guided by the Buddha’s ancient teachings adapted into the modern world of converging cultures.

THE PROGRAM

Officially called the FGS Philippines Humanistic Academy of Life and Arts, this temple stay and studies program is open to those who want to learn our way of life, to take a break from the world they are used to, or to cultivate spiritually, whatever religious background they are from.

The program will offer three months of:

~ Classes introducing Chinese Chan Buddhism, its philosophy and practice
~ Monastic life experience, routine, discipline and etiquette
~ Vegetarian and silent meals using two bowls and chopsticks
~ Nightly walking and sitting meditation
~ Other forms of meditation like tai chi, calligraphy and tea ceremonies
~ Buddhist rituals like chanting every morning, full moon and new moon
~ Basic Mandarin reading, speaking and writing
~ Special workshops on arts, crafts and music
~ Communal or team work in cleaning and events

Accepted scholars for the second batch will live full-time in Yuan Thong Temple situated in the small but bustling city of Bacolod, Philippines from September 15 to December 15, 2010. The food and lodging are all sponsored by Fo Guang Shan Philippines, but costs of transportation and personal necessities need to be shouldered by the accepted scholar.

I met Dave (who posted about the upcoming course) and Artyom, who are part of the first batch of the FGS Philippines Humanistic Academy of Life (started May this year), at the one-day Zen meditation at the Mabuhay Temple. They’re graduating tomorrow, July 31 (yay!). They stayed for two months in Bacolod and completed their last month here in Manila. Artyom is pursuing further studies in the FGS university in Taiwan.

More details at the couchsurfing event thread and the FGS Philippines multiply site, including answers to frequently asked questions like “What if I am not a Buddhist?” or “Do I have to shave my head?”. Dave says a typical day in the monastery would be:

…waking up to the sound of a woodblock at 6:00 AM, and proceeding to the main shrine for morning chanting. Breakfast follows, then a formal class (Mandarin and/or Buddhism) with a monastic, then lunch. All meals are silent. After lunch, there is time for walking meditation and rest. An afternoon class is next, then personal time to shower, wash clothes, and clean rooms. Temple work will be scheduled assignments to help in the kitchen, keep the garden or temple grounds, or other tasks. Dinner will be called at 6:00 PM. After which, an evening class follows and meditation. Everyone will be called to bed at 10PM. There will be days of the week with different schedules, depending on the occasion. Some days will have special workshops on artwork, music, cooking, gardening, or events. Every Monday is a rest day (no classes but it will be time for cleaning own rooms, personal study, writing, etc.).

You can also look at everyday life in the temple through pictures of the first batch of three-month monks in Bacolod here.

rare video of the philippines in the 60s

manilarat — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:06:45 +0000

Found this video through Carlos Celdran, who says it’s a “1960′s travelogue on The Philippines… from the ‘New Horizons’ series by Pan American Airways.”

The German narration made me zone out on some parts, but I especially loved the clip on sipa! I always wondered why we were taught that sipa was our national sport given that I never ever played it or saw anyone play it, but wow here’s proof that it was part of Pinoy everydays once upon a time.

Interesting to note that even after fifty years, we’re still using some of the same travel come ons (both subject matter and style) for Philippine tourism…

Just the same, what a lovely peep into our past!

meditation at the Mabuhay Temple

manilarat — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:53:56 +0000

I had a lovely, lovely day at the Mabuhay Temple in Malate last Sunday, where I got to try meditation for the first time.

I’ve always been interested to pursue meditation as a complement to the search for clarity, and I’ve been particularly curious about Zen.

When I saw an invitation to an introductory course to meditation, I took it as a sign that it was time (and that I was ready) and registered for the course:

Chan meditation, as it turned out, was not just about sitting, and was different from what I knew of Zen.

Emphasis was given on Chan living, meaning the integration of meditative practice into day-to-day living, and we spent the morning learning about the “One Hundred Tasks of Life” by the Venerable Master Hsing Yun, which is a checklist of 100 guidelines to help practitioners tackle everyday life, establish one’s persona, deal with the world, relate to others, be sincere, and cultivate the spiritual self. Some examples:

Stick to a regular daily routine. —> so simple, but also difficult, especially for structure-averse people like myself!
There is no absolute difficulty or ease. Diligence turns the difficult into easy, while sloth makes the easy difficult. —> so true! Don’t you think that just the act of delaying something gives it a heaviness?
Be honest and kind, and always give others space to retreat, as one day they may be of help to you. This is also to reserve future potentials.
Show kindness through speech and facial expressions to make others feel as if they are bathing in the spring breeze. —> what a lovely idea!
The ability to admit your faults is the greatest virtue. It is also the greatest courage of all. —> interesting to see courage as coming from an act on the self…

It felt like a quick dip into the everyday Buddhist mindset, more so because instructions were given in Mandarin (followed by an English translation).

What really jump started the morning for me were the smiling faces of the masters in their brown robes. These women just exuded “holy”, “joy”,and “clarity”, and being in their presence was contagious–even if I came to the temple as open-minded as possible to what would be presented, I realized I still brought biases with me… Seeing the masters so exuberant and yet so simple helped me let go of those biases and “clear my mind” as much as I could, at least for that one day.

Here’s one of my favorites insights from the talk– just reading it now makes me smile all over again: “A nonhuman is one who does not smile when necessary.”

Lunch was provided for, and we had a two-hour break to eat and socialize. Expecting a strict vegetarian diet, I was so surprised to see a long buffet table, complete with three or four viands, soup and black gulaman! Was definitely not your typical meal in a Buddhist temple!

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing calligraphy, physical exercises, and sitting meditation itself, all of which were explained as meditation. “Everything is meditation,” they kept reminding us.

Many people came out of the workshop all smiles, and I think it would be safe to assume that at the very least, everyone had a relaxing time. Those who were interested to learn more were encouraged to contact the temple for future meditation exercises, especially once construction of the Meditation Hall is completed.

Again, thank you so much to the wonderful people of Fo Guang Shan Philippines for opening your doors to us, and to Artyom of couchsurfing for the invitation!

* * *
ABOUT THE MABUHAY TEMPLE:

The Manila Mabuhay Temple is on 656 P. Ocampo Street, Malate. It is about 10 minutes on foot from Vito Cruz LRT station (towards Roxas Boulevard), not far from the Rizal Memorial Stadium and Century Park Hotel.

It is still completing construction works, but is open to visitors from 7am to 8pm everyday. Our friends Dave and Artyom, who are finishing their 4-month Buddhism study program at the temple, recommended avoiding Monday visits as it’s their day for errands.

Artyom told us to look for “a modern 10-storey white building” and not a traditional temple, so I was expecting the typical boxed condominium with dark hallways, etc. I was floored when I got to the place– it was huge! And lovely! With lots of light coming in! It just had an over-all pleasant feel to it:

That’s the temple main entrance above… it leads to the main hall below:

For more information, please call Fo Guang Shan Philippines at (632) 523-4909 or email fgsphilippines@gmail.com

manila beer

manilarat — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:42:15 +0000

Masarap daw. Have you tried it?

onib olmedo’s tamed horses

manilarat — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:33:21 +0000

What a beautiful introduction to Onib Olmedo.

My knowledge of Filipino art is shameful, so it took Crisi’s strong arm to finally put me face-to-face with an Onib painting last Thursday. Crisi has been raving about this Onib piece for so long, always telling me to drop by the art galleries in Shangri-la to look for it. Wasn’t a coincidence that when we passed by last Thursday, we met not just the gallery owner of Artistree, but the owner of the Onib painting himself, Vic Salta.

The painting wasn’t on display, but Vic was gracious enough to take the painting out of storage for us to take a peep, and later on take our pic with it, such a joy!

Two BIG THANK YOUs, for the beautiful art, and for the random kindness!

* * *
If Mr. Salta hasn’t put it back in storage, Onib Olmedo’s Tamed Horses can be viewed at the Artistree Gallery, Shangri-la Plaza.

Art at the Shang: Saturday group exhibit

manilarat — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:30:55 +0000

Was surprised to see a Hermes painting while going up the escalator in Shangri-la Mall yesterday…

Turns out there’s an art exhibit of the Saturday Group of Artists until July 26 (two Mondays from now). What a lovely pick-me-upper in the middle of a mall!

Was also so happy to see this piece by Migs Villanueva, who was such a patient writing mentor for our group of fiction-writing babies in 2005…(indulge me– I wrote a piece that got published then!). Migs invited us to her first (?) painting exhibit a few years after that, but it was a nice surprise yesterday to see that she’s still at it, and exploring new themes:

There was also a Blanco! I didn’t recognize the first name from the Blanco kids I saw in the Angono museum, maybe it’s by one of the grandkids?

Lovely fantastical images…

Am glad that Filipino art is made more accessible to Pinoys today, most of whom find more reason to frequent malls than museums…

Coming in a few weeks is the 2nd Annual Manila Art Fair, which is a bigger (and hopefully just as successful) sequel to last year’s Manila Art09 “Asia’s Latest Contemporary Art Fair”! Yahooo, excited for that!!

* * *
Art at the Shang is an exhibition of the Saturday Group of Artists at the Grand Atrium, Shangri-la Plaza. It runs from July 14 to 26, 2010.

i super like the meralco post office!

manilarat — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:48:26 +0000

Super convenient,there’s lots of parking available, and there’s hardly ever a line.

You just bring your envelope or postcard, have it weighed, then pay the postage fee.

Makes it more encouraging to send real letters to friends and family abroad, who am sure will welcome the change from texts and emails to old skool snail mail!

* * *

The Meralco Post Office is along Ortigas Ave., right by the entrance gate to the Meralco compound fronting MC Home Depot. There’s a Meralco paying station next to it.

It is open on Mondays to Fridays from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. The sweet old man who mans the office told me he’s there even during lunch break, yay! Cut off for same-day postage is at 12 noon.

trends in online travel research

manilarat — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:09:29 +0000

Google’s Jane Butler shares trends on How Consumers Search Travel Online for 2009-2010.

Interesting to note:

Popular keywords involve last minute deals: “summer vacations” , “all inclusive vacations” , “travel packages” , “train tickets” , “cheap plane tickets” , “package deals” , “last minute flights” , “last minute cruises.”
People looking for last minute deals book their trips online usually a week before they travel.
Travel videos are important research tools for both business and personal travelers.
Mobile research is key: 25 percent of business travelers access online travel information from their mobile device (vs. 8 percent of personal travelers and 16 percent of affluent travelers).
Good for bloggers: “Travelers are searching more for local, point-of-interest-based information around a destination while planning for and during a trip,” more than hotel, car rental, and air searchers.
Tip for those looking to build hotels: It’s still location, location, location. “Google has seen a 66 percent growth since 2004 in “Near +” and “Close To +” terms in the Hotels & Accommodations Category on Google.com”

Consumers are booking their trips online closer to the travel date (usually a week before).

genocide in the 20th century

manilarat — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:53:35 +0000

Last March 2010, I visited the Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and was dumbfounded that such an atrocity happened, and happened in the 1970s. The Cambodians made sure none of it was left unremembered, and right in the center of its capital is a museum where visitors–and Cambodians themselves–can understand, even in passing, what went on in that place, while the rest of world went about its business.

Today I read about a memorial in Bosnia put up by Phillip Ruch, a German activist who is demanding accountability for the massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995. “The Pillar of Shame” will be a mound of shoes–16,000 of them–each pair for a life lost in the ethnic cleansing that still haunts people to this day. Ruch says that the memorial serves as a “warning for all future U.N. employees never again just to stand by when genocide unfolds.”

We Filipinos should learn to be not so forgetful either. Do you think we’ll someday see a memorial for our murdered journalists, or the Ampatuan victims?

Maybe we don’t really forget, but we don’t remember either.

red flags from our new tourism secretary

manilarat — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 01:45:39 +0000

(Image from pinoyvote.net)

Our new Tourism Secretary is Alberto Lim. Didn’t know much about him until I read his irresponsible statements to AFP about Boracay! Oh no! We have someone who doesn’t know what he’s talking about at the helm of DOT. Ace Durano, please come back!!!

Yes, Boracay’s been under threat of overdevelopment for a long time, and yes, it is nearing tipping point, but as the new head honcho for marketing our country, you just don’t don’t don’t go about saying things like, “The thing about Boracay is the quality of the sand, (it is) very white. But there are other places that have better quality sand, but (they are) very expensive,” and then adopting a position of resignation:

Lim suggested the government may in the end be unable to halt overdevelopment.

“We have world-class laws but nobody follows them,” he said, adding tourists may just have to look elsewhere.

Boracay is one of the most celebrated places the Philippines is known for, and to talk about it this way betrays not only a lack of love for it, but a lack of understanding of its real value!

There have been cases of overdevelopment elsewhere (e.g. Balearic Islands), but given concerted effort from stakeholders, with government at the helm, they were able to turn things around for the better.

Secretary Lim, Boracay is not dead, it’s certainly not dead YET, but with such a defeatist, dismissive attitude as this, then you might as well have asked for its death.

If Philippine Tourism is stuck with this kind of mindset for another 6 years, then we are definitely dead.

overloading of buses- very dangerous

manilarat — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:02:18 +0000

Last May 2010, I went on the worst bus ride of my life, something I described to friends as a nightmare I wouldn’t dare inflict on my enemies. I sat on a plastic stool on the aisle of a provincial bus for close to 4 hours of zigzaging roads from Iloilo to Caticlan, and for the life of me I couldn’t understand why the conductor kept inviting people aboard as if there was still so much room for passengers! Some of the late boarders had to sit on the aisle floor for crying out loud (and still pay the full fare)!

I wouldn’t have remembered this had I not read about an overloaded bus in Cebu that killed 15 people this month. Such reckless, GREEDY practices must not only go unchecked, punish those responsible!!!

Such a stark contrast to the budget buses in New York and the U.S. East Coast I just rode on the month before, with their comfy seats, power outlets and wifi-on-board service:

Our buses don’t even come close to the Mekong Express buses of Vietnam and Cambodia, with comparable fares of $10-12 from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, complete with snacks and an English-speaking tour guide!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Ceres Bus Company, if you can’t offer premium services, then please at the very least ensure that we can travel SAFELY with you and your buses!

boracay as the next phuket?

manilarat — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:53:26 +0000

The New York Times featured Boracay as possibly the next Phuket (thanks for the heads up, Teens!), and although the label, not to mention its marketing mileage, is arguably short of an award, I have misgivings about it.

I’ve been doing a fair bit of reading on sustainable tourism lately, and the mindset is that mass tourism (aka the party-loving crowd of Boracay) is not sustainable, which also translates to not profitable, for everyone involved. More and more the trend should be moving towards high value tourism, which naturally has high entry costs, for both the businessman and the tourist, and high returns, for the businessman, the tourist AND the local population.

The Balearic Islands of Spain–Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza–keep coming up as models of sustainable development, and their story is worth looking into, especially given the dangerous edge that Boracay is finding itself close to. The key ingredients in the Balearics’ return to “profitable” tourism? Dialogue and tourism policy.

Pilipinas kong minumutya

manilarat — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:19:37 +0000

I remember singing this song over and over again when I was in first grade–my mom chose it as my piece for a singing contest in school…
I realize now that that was in 1987, a year after EDSA 1 (it puts me off the way we have to qualify which EDSA we mean now–the succeeding two were “not of the same spirit” and don’t belong with the first). Without pretense, in 1987, the spirit of Bayan Ko was alive in my mom, and was unknowingly passed on to me:

Ang bayan kong Pilipinas
Lupain ng ginto’t bulaklak
Pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad
Nag-alay ng ganda’t dilag

At sa kanyang yumi at ganda
Dayuhan ay nahalina
Bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa

CHORUS
Ibon mang may layang lumipad
Kulungin mo at umiiyak
Bayan pa kayang sakdal-dilag
Ang ‘di magnasang makaalpas

Pilipinas kong minumutya
Pugad ng luha at dalita
Aking adhika
Makita kang sakdal laya

I wonder how kids feel today, having lived through the inauguration of a new president who above all, promises to be good-hearted.

Do they believe him? Do they hope with him?

seair discontinues flights to el nido :(

manilarat — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:40:10 +0000

From GMA News:

Starting Wednesday [June 30], Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) will discontinue service to five destinations for the installation of additional exit doors in planes flying to these locations.

The airline’s flights to El Nido in Palawan, San Fernando in La Union; Marinduque; Zamboanga City in Mindanao; Tawi-Tawi; and Jolo will be discontinued on June 30, Wednesday, the company said in a statement.

…

The statement made no mention of the airline’s flight resumption to these areas.

Oh this is a major setback for El Nido tourism.

Been actively planning a trip to El Nido, now the only transportation options from Manila are land travel from Puerto Princesa or boat travel from Coron, both of which have direct flights to and from Manila, or via (expensive) chartered flights from Manila to El Nido. Boo boo boo and triple more booos

manila ocean park

manilarat — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:54:24 +0000

I’ve always wondered what the Manila Ocean Park was like,but people advised me to wait until everything was open before I went to visit. Three years have passed since its grand opening in 2007, but yey I was still an eager beaver to go in for the first time last month!

For a random Tuesday afternoon, I was surprised to see it packed, and not with school kids on a field trip, but with regular families with children and even seniors in tow.

Lots of interesting animals to see, this eel was among the first to greet us…

Such a menacing look from this ray! Doesn’t he remind you of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid…?

Have you ever seen a fish so cute? Or nagpapa-cute? Wonder what those teeth are for!!

One of the eeriest things I saw there– fish eggs…

We learned that the park uses filtered water from Manila Bay for the aquariums, and for contrast, also displays this filthy tank for the bay’s unfiltered water:

I hope the tahong (mussels) they serve in Dampa doesn’t come from here!

After the small fishes came the big fishes–and wow, was happy to see giant tilapia look-alikes there!

The finale was a walk-through aquarium called Buhay na Karagatan (Living Ocean):

It’s an approximation of what divers get to see on a regular basis… so nice.

My friends and I thought it was too short a walk-through, but we were happy to sit there for a while and get nice views of fishes’ underbellies. Would’ve been perfect if we had ocean sounds playing in the background!

All in all, it was a pleasant first visit to Manila’s first and only Ocean Park. We thought we’d take at least 2 hours to explore the complex, but finished in under an hour… If we had kids with us, we probably would’ve paid more for the extra show, but we were hungry and couldn’t wait to eat in Makansutra, an Asian food court next to the mall area.

View more Manila Ocean Park pictures on flickr.

* * *

The Manila Ocean Park is behind the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila.
P400 standard entrance fee for adults, P350 for kids .
It is open all year round, including all holidays.

The Oceanarium and Jellies
Mondays and Tuesdays:10:00am to 7:00pm – Last selling of Tickets – 6:15pm
Wednesdays to Fridays: 10:00am to 8:30pm – Last selling of Tickets – 7:45pm
Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holiday: 9:00am to 8:30pm – Last selling of Tickets – 7:45pm

Maiden of the Sea
Mondays and Tuesdays: No Show
Wednesdays to Sundays: 7:00pm (Bundled tickets with Oceanarium and SOLO Tickets)
**For guests who will buy bundled tickets at the POS cashiers last ticket selling will be at 6:45pm

Swimming & Fun and Waterball
Mondays to Sundays: 8:00am to 5:00pm

For more information, call Tel: (632) 5677777 Fax: (632) 5672309 or visit their website.

what it really means to go green

manilarat — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:43:17 +0000

Was so happy to read The Burden of Stuff: Why Less Could Make You Happier from the Huffington Post.

This is exactly what I’m (quietly) advocating–a purging of our consumerist lifestyles, which, in essence, is what it means to go green! Not just changing our kitchen, bathroom, or library, but more so our own mindset. To be able to go green for the long haul (i.e. be consistent in it enough for it to become a part of who we are), step one is to live simply. It is a gentle, quiet call for basic living, which does not necessarily mean a frugal lifestyle, but living with only what’s enough. It’s catching ourselves whenever we say “I want…” and really asking the whys behind that want…

Going-green has gotten on the “uso” bandwagon for a while now, which is good for the awareness it creates, but not for its message. The internet is literally swamped with go-green blogs now, our local bookstores have a new section just for the green lifestyle, and “green” products are just everywhere, with more popping up everyday and adding to the clutter!!

Author Kirsten Dirksen shares:

Our stuff has weight (something George Clooney’s character understood in Up In the Air with his How Heavy Is Your Backpack speech), whether because it simply blocks our view of the more important things in our lives, or because like some parasite, it begins to suck up our time and attention. Almost everything we have in our lives affects us in some way: the extra clothes in our closets just get in the way of what we really want to wear; the extra furniture takes up space; it’s extra stuff to dust, to rearrange, to store, to lose things in.

She did a video interview of Brad and Andy, a couple from Texas who literally uprooted themselves from the city and chose a leaner, cleaner lifestyle with just the bare essentials: a good bed, good table, good sofa, and some modern comforts like a good kitchen and the internet:

The good news is going-green is by no means an “absolute no” to material things! Brad adds:

I don’t want to own nice things, but I want to use nice things. For example I like the idea of going and renting, although Anda makes fun of me on this, a Porsche and driving up US Highway 1 from San Francisco to Portland. I think that would be great, but I don’t want to own a Porsche.

And for this “luxury”, Kirsten says there are new amazing communities that actually have communal ownership of “shareable” things like cars, bikes or tools. She also shares a link to Inconspicuous Consumption, which lists references on shared libraries of useful things. Have you heard of movements like this in the Philippines?

In any case, this is it, friends–the lamppost along the tunnel! To go green is to travel light and purge the excesses from our lives. It’s to sign up for “voluntary simplicity“, which is hard and frustrating, but as with all purges, promising and refreshing.

it’s almost been a year since Ondoy…

manilarat — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:55:57 +0000

My thoughts on October 1, 2009:

Typhoon Ondoy brought with it so much loss, fear, anger. Galit lahat, finger-pointing has begun, and will only get worse. My brother told me he doesn’t want to watch the news anymore, he just gets depressed.

Ordinary citizens are rallying behind something though, something that’s mobilizing them and getting them on the streets. Everywhere people are helping–rescuing, donating, packing, cleaning, coordinating, passing on critical information. In one weekend, we have begun talking again, and talking about things that matter–the people around us, our people, us.

First saw this during Cory’s wake–Pinoys came out to honor a great woman, a hero to the Filipino nation. Strangers rubbing elbows in the rain, waiting in line for long hours to pay tribute and say goodbye. It seemed that Filipino apathy was finally taking a turn for the better, but I think real motives of people were still hazy then. It wasn’t clear why we really took to the streets. Usiseros aside, how many of those who came with good intentions knew what those intentions were, really? Na kinilatis, pinag-isipan, binuo? Why mourn Cory? Who was she to them? What about her and her life did they connect with, that was relevant to them? Some friends who went said they wanted to be part of history… what does that mean?

I’d like to think we went to the streets to mourn Cory because despite our pronunciations that our country is hopeless, that Filipinos don’t care anymore, the truth is we do care. We want to care. We were out there looking for hope, and Cory gave us that.

In the aftermath of Ondoy, what happened?

They say that when you take a step towards God, he comes running to you. Maybe the Cory magic was our first step, collectively as a people, towards hope (and love). And here it is now in our midst, in abundance. Hope came running to us.

Let’s dwell on hope. The Philippines will need more than material healing from this tragedy, and there will be a time for demanding accountability, but let it be anchored on hope.

We’ve already started talking to each other again as Filipinos. We’re looking each other in the eye, regardless of family, school, occupation, religion, socio-economic class. Let’s keep talking to each other. I hope this blog can help safeguard and continue this dialogue for healing–one that is fueled by hope and at the same time channels it.

- Excerpt from Ondoy Heroes

They do say all things pass–the best and the worst–and the storm that was Ondoy has passed. I pray that its lessons (and demands) have not been lost on us though….and that the dialogue for healing among ourselves lives on…Or better yet, that it has been translated into living hope, that is fueled by consistent action.

What have you done since September 26, 2009, or what have you done differently since then?

For me, the hoping (and seeking) continues in manilarat, where I still insist on finding beauty in the city (and country!) that we love to hate, and in finding the people who can help make it all happen…go go go tourism development! The green brigade lives on too, which is above all, a shift inside…

Various friends have helped campaign for their candidates for the recent elections; some actually ran (and won, yay!) for government. Others keep on fighting the good fight in NGO’s like Gawad Kalinga, and still others wave the Philippine banner in their own smaller circles of friends and families…

Wherever we are, we carry our best intentions for this country with us, so whatever it is you’re doing, whether you’re primed for the bida role or part of the supporting cast, fight on! You are not alone.

Para sa bayan!

We have a new president!

angono’s art museums: the blancos

manilarat — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 04:14:54 +0000

Confession: I had no idea who Blanco was, nor was I familiar with his works, before I went to Angono last week. The little that I knew of him was that he had a lot of talented children, and they painted as a family.

But wow oh wow, I was really floored when I visited his home in Angono! Tucked away in the middle of the Rizal province are paintings of a genius family– think Von Trapps for painting! Such an amazing, amazing place, full of love that is still palpable, to this day, even to the most ignorant of visitors.

The Blanco Family Museum displays the family’s most treasured works, ranging from those done by each family member as far back as 4 years of age until about the mid-twenties. All seven children are gifted painters, and Loring Blanco, their mother, joined in the painting party at age 48. Dad Pitok Blanco set up the museum to prevent the usual occurrence of artists’ families not having their works as keepsakes. None of the paintings on display are for sale.

Painted by their youngest, Peter Paul, at age 4:

Age 6:

A portrait of Peter Paul done by his older sister, Gay Blanco, at age 8:

A beautiful capture of a scene she must’ve seen often, using oil pastel on wood, age 7:

Already playing with lights and shadows at age 14:

A Mangyan mother and child, one of my favorites in the whole collection, also by Gay at age 15:

Her mastery of oils shown here at age 22:

Jan Blanco’s “The Merchant”, age 6:

Another incredible oil pastel on wood, “The Dragon Slayer”, also at age 6:

A rendering of a recurrent motif in the family, the “Kanduli”, by Jan at age 8:

Another portrait of Peter Paul, this time by older brother Jan done at age 15:

Amazing detail in this chicken shop! Didn’t get to take note of the date, but am guessing this was done in his late teens or early twenties:

Joy Blanco, watercolor on board at age 10:

Age 11:

Joy’s “Old woman on the ricefield”, oil on canvas, age 15:

Look at the grass on this “Kanduli”, done at age 17–it’s alive!

Portrait of Jan by older brother Michael, Watercolor on board, age 12:

Portraits of his grandparents, age 18:

“Beginning of a New Day”, Oil on canvas, age 38:

Noel Blanco’s subtle watercolor on board, depicting life on the meadow, at age 14:

Portrait of his sister, Gay, at age 16:

At age 20:

Unlike his siblings, Glenn Blanco only started painting in fourth year high school.

His work at age 24:

I love Mommy Loring’s paintings, which have a distinct womanly, motherly feel to them:

Her works “tell us about human warmth, the odor of mother’s milk and sweat, and the tender skin of sleeping infants.”

Of course the museum builds up to the works of the Padre de familia, Jose “Pitok” Blanco, which are massive murals jostling with Filipino life:

I went home that day with such a big smile in my heart.

We have such a treasure in the Blanco Family Museum, and it’s here in the immediate environs of Metro Manila! This should be a weekend destination for all Pinoy and Pinoy-at-heart families Thank you, Pitok Blanco, for preserving your family’s beautiful works, and for sharing it with all of us.

View more pictures of the works of the Blanco family on flickr.

* * *

The Blanco Family Museum is on 312 Ibanez St., Angono, Rizal. It’s just a few streets away from the town munisipyo.

Related post:
- Angono’s Art Museums: Nemiranda

angono’s art museums: nemiranda

manilarat — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 09:05:26 +0000

Angono has always been on my travel wish list. So glad finally I made it there–and on an impromptu trip at that!

With just crammed online research the night before, my best friend and I drove to Angono, Rizal to visit the art galleries of Nemiranda and the Blanco family Thursday morning last week. We got there a little past noon, and after lunch at Balaw-Balaw Restaurant, we went down the street to the Nemiranda Museum and Angono School for the Arts.

We found a gate that said “entrance fee”, and after a few unanswered knocks, we decided to go inside. It took us a while to realize we made a mistake and entered through the back door (which explained the construction mess!).

If we just walked a little, we would’ve gone in by the real entrance, which was around the corner.

Nemi Miranda is a painter and sculptor, and his cement sculptures were inviting, and lyrical if that’s an apt word, as if they’re part of an epic or myth. Very reminiscent of Hermes Alegre’s diwata muses (Hermes is one of my Pinoy favorite painters–my first purchased artwork is by him!)…

The Museum houses the artist’s paintings, which employ what he calls Imaginative Figurism:

I remember reading that he did some works in the EDSA Shrine…When I asked our guide which specific pieces were his, she gave a vague answer “Yung sa Shrine”…but a quick search on the EDSA Shrine website says he painted the murals in the main chapel:

Within the main chapel, a floating glass sculpture of the Risen Christ by Ramon Orlina overlooks the main marble altar also created by Abueva. The upper walls are muted murals that depict and interpret the four-day revolution by 15 artists from Angono, Rizal, led by Nemi Miranda.

I haven’t seen them, but I assume they’d be in the same vein these studies:

I’m not a fan of his palette, but I found his most striking painting to be a commentary on third world poverty and overpopulation:

“Isang kahig, isang tuka, sa kaunting sarap…sangkatutak na hirap”
Oil on canvas, 1996

At 6 meters x 6 meters, it’s quite massive, and gives a stun to anyone standing in front of it.

As a family museum, works of his children are also on display…

I kept coming back to this haunting piece by his son, Paul:

Our next stop was the Blanco Family Museum (oh such a treasure!!!!), post to follow…

View more pictures of Nemiranda and Angono on flickr.

* * *
The Nemiranda Family Museum is on Dona Justa Street in Angono, Rizal. From the Manila East Road (eastbound), turn left towards Balaw-balaw Restaurant. Entrance fee is P30.
Phone : (02) 651-3867
Fax : (02) 651-3867
Email : inquiry@nemiranda.net, nemi_miranda@yahoo.com
Website: nemiranda.net

las casas filipinas de acuzar

manilarat — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:35:53 +0000

A passion project of Jerry Acuzar of San Jose Builders fame, this is truly a gift to the Filipino people!

Way back in 2005, I already heard about a guy who bought old Filipino houses and transplanted them in a heritage town, and I remember that he got a lot of flack for taking these “treasures” out of their original context and arranging them in a place of his choosing, as if on a collector’s whim. I must admit though, that this is no whim, and we owe Mr. Acuzar a multitude of thanks and support for his vision.

Set on a beachside property in Bagac, Bataan, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a bigger Vigan (which, more than a heritage town, is actually a “street” of old Filipino houses)… or maybe in light of my recent trip to Old Manila, an Intramuros without the walls.

Beautiful. Where can you find such an architectural festival for Pinoy talent?

I especially love it that Mr. Acuzar made this place organic by making the houses livable! Rooms are actually available for overnight stays in Paseo de Escolta (where we stayed), and even whole houses are available for rent. YAY!

Our tour guide Roxanne said that only 1% of the property (4 of the 400 hectares) has been used to date, which leaves a lot of room for expansion. Definitely true to their tagline: pride in the past, and hope for the future!

Day tour rates range from 1,000-1,200 per person inclusive of lunch. For an extra P300 more per person, we decided to stay overnight.

View pictures of rooms and other accommodation options at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
View more pictures of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar on facebook

* * *

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is currently on its soft opening, and will officially open its doors in December 2010. Restoration work is still ongoing for some houses. A bridge connecting the town to the beach is underway, as well as a church.

You may contact them through the following numbers, or visit their website for more information:

LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUZAR
Bo Pag-asa, Bagac, Bataan

Manila Sales Office:
Mezzanine Floor Victoria Towers, Timog Avenue, Quezon City

For inquiries and reservations, pls. call
Las Casas Sales & Reservations Office
Telephone No.: (63 2) 332.5338, (632) 335.3032
Fax No.: (63 2) 332.5286 .
Email: reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com

the best inihaw na tenga!

manilarat — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:08:31 +0000

My friends have been raving about the tenga (grilled pig’s ears) in Countryside along Katipunan since college, but it was only last week that I got to try it—2:30am and the place was still bustling with customers, wowowee!!! Look at that oily goodness–that’s cholesterol straight to your thighs and heart, but well well well, sometimes, it’s just okay to be a little baaaad.

Coupled with some pork isaw (grilled pig’s intestines), this was surely one of the best post-inuman eats I’ve had in a while!

Of course I paid for it with the all-day dizzy spell the next day, but haaay sulit pa rin!

* * *
Countryside is on Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. It’s on the same side of the road as Freska and is one of the last establishments before the stretch to the flyover to Ateneo and UP.

walking around intramuros again

manilarat — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 07:44:10 +0000

After a nice Pasig river ferry ride from Guadalupe last Saturday, we walked around Intramuros, one of the default must-stops for visitors to Manila.

Literally “within walls”, Intramuros was the creme de la creme of real estate in the Spanish times, where the richest and most powerful congregated and stayed.

The ferry docked at the Plaza Mexico station, where we were greeted by this monument in honor of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade.

Notice the Guardia Sibil in full get-up! All the Intramuros guards wear this period piece now… can I say hot (as in maiinit!!)?

This very spot was eerie for me– I dreamt it before, and was scared zombies would come out of the ruins and run after me!

But yes, we do have actual ruins in Intramuros…

…and there is an actual initiative led by Senator Gordon to restore the walls…

Bravo for him, if only he can only put a stop to this scandalous “restoration” of the San Agustin Church…

…which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and should be protected from looking like a contemporary cemented building!!!

Mukha pa ba siyang stone church???? Huhuhuhu.

The outer walls of Intramuros still stand though, and were such a delight to walk on…

The simple joys of a Saturday afternoon around Manila.

We capped the day with ice cream at Illustrado–tasted like a “burol” or funeral wake according to a friend, but I took a liking to it. Reminded me of rosewater, or lavender candies I had in Madrid before–so yummm!! Not cheap though at Php90/scoop.

Another find on this trip was the Silahis Center on Gen. Luna St., an “emporium of Philippine Art Craft and Culture”, where I found a nice print of drawings of San Agustin Church and Plaza Cervantes (it’s actually gift wrapping paper, but for Php25, it’s making my wall happier now!).

I never entered Silahis before, thinking it would be a tourist trap, but prices of their native baskets were reasonable! Last February, I went around Tiendesitas looking for a basket for use as a hamper, and found a lovely one for Php750 at 40% off! Similar ones I saw in Silahis were selling for Php750 at the original price. They even have Intramuros maps for free there (care of the Intramuros Admninistration):

You can also download the map from Intramuros Administration website.

* * *

My old posts on Intramuros:

More Intramuros pics – June 2005
Death of a City – August 2005

pasig river ferry

manilarat — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:36:27 +0000

Went on my first Couchsurfing Manila gathering on the Pasig river ferry last Saturday morning. We met at the Guadalupe station at 9:30 am and took the ferry for a 45-minute ride to Plaza Mexico, Intramuros, which cost Php 45.00 one way.

If you’re taking your car and are not familiar with the area, I suggest you park it either in Shangri-la (parking is open even early morning) or Ayala Center, then take the MRT to the Guadalupe MRT Station. From there, it’s a short walk to the Guadalupe river station.

First question friends asked about the trip– did it stink? My honest answer: No, it didn’t, it just smelled like a river… maybe a fishy river, but no gaggingly foul smell.

We stood on the deck for a good part of the trip (my advice: don’t stay on the sides lest you’re ready to be splashed by the dubious Pasig waters), and despite having rained earlier that morning, it was a pleasant, breezy boat ride that offered a backend view of Makati and Manila.

Ed, who organized the day trip, said that although he’s taken the trip more than 10 times, this was the first time he saw so many people on the deck at once!

A little before Malacanang, we were all told to go back inside the boat and not take pictures.

Life jackets are not required, but good to know they’re available for passengers, just in case.

I grew up with stories about the dreadful Pasig, and the many rescue attempts made by different groups–Ming Ramos’ Piso para sa Pasig having received the most mileage I think. This time it’s ABS-CBN foundation’s Gina Lopez who’s holding the save-the-Pasig banner, along with some government initiatives with the Japanese.

The River dredging project digs up the trash at the bottom of the river to help it flow properly again.

Many barges still use the Pasig. Most probably from all the industrial activity going on along the river…

It does seem as if things are looking up for the Pasig, but we still have a long way to go…

taking an indefinite leave from the internet

manilarat — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:56:21 +0000

Today I made a decision to clean out distractions, and my biggest one has always been the internet.. will try to quit cold turkey, then slowly let it in again, as the need arises.. Top of head am thinking maybe a month, but I don’t know. Anything can happen

This is an experiment I’m doing for myself, so I can weed out what matters less, and work on what matters more.

Hugs always. Wherever you are and whatever is lighting up your eyes now, I wish you smiles in your heart everyday!

back to tagaytay favorites– bawais and chateau hestia

manilarat — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:11:47 +0000

For my dad’s 65th and my kuya’s 31st birthdays, we trooped to our favorite places in Tagaytay– Bawai’s and next door Chateau Hestia, deep in the residential rows of Lagusan Drive.

Bawai’s is a Vietnamese restaurant, lutong-bahay style, and is owned by the Tatlonghari family. The word “Bawai” is actually grandmother in Vietnamese, and whenever we come here, we do feel like we’re just dining in a friend’s home!

They set up our table for 26 quite nicely..

After all the appetizers, I had this dry noodle bowl with beef slivers… really yummy, and only costs P195!

They also introduced rice dishes to the menu, here’s one with pork chops and omelet:

We took a stroll to Chateau Hestia next door…

…where they have a spanky new function room ready for use!

Nice high ceiling with lots of light coming in… beautiful modern garden kubo!

The cozy garden still enchants, and still makes me want to have my own garden someday…

It leads to the main restaurant on the ground floor…

Where they sell homemade limoncello (it’s good! and strong!) for around P800 a bottle I think..

…and dense freshly baked bread…

Happy birthday Papa and Kuy! Was a lovely weekend with you and our happy noisy family!

cooking for one: tofu adobo

manilarat — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:54:48 +0000

When you live alone, you either eat out all the time or cook for one. If you choose to cook and are like most girls, your pantry would probably be stuffed with pasta, salads, breads, and cheeses…

But I think one can only have so much pasta and salads!!

I took home non-default items from the supermarket the other day–including baboy adobo cut and cream dory (why are they everywhere now?). Tonight I wanted something light though, so I took out my most perishable food in the refrigerator –tofu– and made veggie adobo! For a first try, masarap siya!

I added monggo sprouts and sayote tops because I still wanted something leafy in there, then put in chili flakes for that perfect bite..yummm!

I also used organic black vinegar, which true enough, may have made the difference:

I think I’m beginning to appreciate Pinoy and Asian flavors more… am I growing old?? hehe

Care to share your favorite easy-to-cook meals? With ingredients easily found in Manila please? )

a market-to-plate cooking day using organic food!

manilarat — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:21:26 +0000

My friend Jhoey Hernandez of PinoyOrganics.com is holding a unique culinary tour in Alabang on Saturday, May 22, for sustainable cooking! Hope you and your green-minded friends can support her project:

Are you a cooking mama, a foodie, an urban gardener wannabe or simply love learning new things? Dust off your basket and join us as Pinoy Organics launch its Market-to-Plate Tours in the South!

Pinoy Organics in partnership with Feed 5000

present

Market-to-Plate Tour Launch

MAY 22, 2010, SATURDAY

8AM – 2PM

Know your local producers in nearby weekend markets

Help us purchase our ingredients for our cooking demo

Meet the only certified organic local produce seller in the South

Meet a 70 year old woman who sells local produce from Batangas on weekends only

Know where to buy organic brown rice at market price in the South

Enjoy a local drink with more electrolytes than commercial sports drink

Visit Mom-Turn-Farmer who sells her sustainable foods from Cavite

and more!

Learn “How To Grow Your Own Herbs”

Kitchen Herbs 101

Growing Herbs

Propagation

And more practical tips about herbs!

Watch and learn from Chef Len Santos of Feed 5000 as she shows us how to use herbs via Cooking Demo, “Cooking with Herbs”. Bonus treat: we get to taste everything she’ll cook!

Watermelon, Mint and Kesong Puti Salad

Penne Vongole (with Flat Parsley and Dill)

Grilled Chicken and Mushroom Bruschetta

Pineapple Basil Shake

Lavender Flan

FEE: P 1,000/person only (inclusive of all materials and light lunch)

SCHEDULE

8:00 – 10:00 Market Tour

10:00 – 1:00 “Cooking with Herbs”, a cooking demo cum lunch by Chef Len of Feed 5000

1:00 – 2:00 “How to Grow Your Own Herbs”, an urban gardening workshop

The cooking demo and gardening workshop will be held at Feed 5000 Studio, 186 Luzon Drive, Ayala Alabang Village

To book your reservations, call +632 347 3975, text +63922 895 3975

or email us at pinoyorganics@gmail.com.

is the philippines travel and tourism competitive? (part2)

manilarat — Mon, 17 May 2010 08:44:47 +0000

(continued from Is the Philippines travel and tourism competitive?)

What do the numbers say about our place on the tourism map, using the 3 main categories set by the World Economic Forum as reference points?

Our strong points:

These are indicators where we have a competitive advantage, meaning we’re ranked 86th overall, but we outdo other countries that are ranked higher than us in these areas. Numbers show our ranking per item, out of 133 countries worldwide.

I. In terms of Regulatory framework (government)
Visa requirements* ………………………………………………..3
Openness of bilateral Air Service Agreements* ……….28

Carbon dioxide emissions* ……………………………………34
Particulate matter concentration* …………………………..42
Environmental treaty ratification*……………………………34

T&T fair attendance*…………………………………………….41

II. In terms of Business environment and infrastructure
Available seat kilometers, domestic air travel*………………………23
Available seat kilometers, international air travel* ………………….29
Number of operating airlines*………………………………..48
Road density*………………………………………………………44

Ticket taxes and airport charges*……………………………17
Purchasing power parity*………………………………………40
Fuel price levels* …………………………………………………42
Hotel price index* ………………………………………………..12

Quality of the educational system…………………………..46
Extent of staff training…………………………………………..30
HIV prevalence* …………………………………………………….1

III. In terms of Human, cultural, and natural resources
Attitude of population toward foreign visitors…………..46
Extension of business trips recommended ……………..38

Number of World Heritage natural sites* ………………..23
Total known species*……………………………………………40

Number of World Heritage cultural sites* ……………….45
Number of international fairs and exhibitions* …………43
Creative industries exports*…………………………………..37

Our weak points:

These now indicate where we have a competitive disadvantage, meaning where we need to do improvements BIG TIME. The higher the number, the greater the work that needs to be done in that area (numbers show our ranking per item, out of 133 countries worldwide).

I. In terms of Regulatory framework (government)
Prevalence of foreign ownership ……………………………98
Property rights……………………………………………………..92
Business impact of rules on FDI …………………………….97
Transparency of government policymaking………………85

II. In terms of Business environment and infrastructure
Time required to start a business*………………………..114
Cost to start a business* ………………………………………94

Enforcement of environmental regulation………………..97
Threatened species* …………………………………………..129
Business costs of terrorism …………………………………125
Reliability of police services …………………………………..98
Business costs of crime and violence……………………..93
Road traffic accidents*………………………………………..108

Quality of roads ……………………………………………………94
Quality of railroad infrastructure……………………………..85
Quality of port infrastructure ………………………………..100
Quality of ground transport network……………………..115

Hotel rooms*……………………………………………………..118
Presence of major car rental companies*………………..73
ATMs accepting Visa cards* ………………………………….93
Internet users* …………………………………………………..103
Telephone lines*…………………………………………………107

III. In terms of Human, cultural, and natural resources
Hiring and firing practices…………………………………….100
Ease of hiring foreign labor ………………………………….116

Protected areas* ………………………………………………..104
Quality of the natural environment………………………..124
Sports stadiums* ……………………………………………….124

So…

Our strongest competitive edge is that we have a low prevalence of HIV among our labor force. And we don’t require strict visas for entry.
Our weakest links? We don’t do enough to protect our threatened species, there is a high security cost to start a business here (because of terrorism), we don’t have sports stadiums, and the state of our environment is blech poor.

Other random thoughts:

We’re only ranked 23rd for our natural sites, and 40th for our total known species!!! Grabe! And here I was so convinced that we have such natural treasures here! What happened to the heart of the heart of the marine biodiversity of the world–the Visayan region, center of the Sulawesi Triangle? Is this the real deal or can the data be ever so wrong?
Then again, these are officially declared heritage sites. What the data discounts are the scores of beaches we have, and how they rival the best in the world, and how the beach is what brings people out on vacations (sun, sea, sand, right? I don’t need data to support this, but figures would be nice.)
Then again even more, the QUALITY of our natural environment needs to be addressed ASAP.
We pride ourselves in being the land of smiles, and the data validates this: we got a 46 ranking, with an actual score of 6.6 out of 7 for attitude of the locals toward foreign visitors, equal to Switzerland. The tourist-friendliest country award goes to Barbados, New Zealand and Ireland, all with a 6.9 rating. Am surprised Singapore scored a 6.8–I didn’t feel they were friendly over there the last time I went!

Where do we go from here? There’s so much work to be done!! I think in terms of government prioritization of the Travel and Tourism industry, we’re not doing enough at rank 55. Even actual experience tells you this– tourism isn’t on the agenda of our leaders, and it’s not on our agenda as citizens either. We don’t hear about it enough, we don’t see enough development efforts to entice tourists nor investors, we don’t talk about it enough. There’s no dialogue on the streets about tourism as a potential salve from poverty, and how each and everyone can help (kasi totoo!! this isn’t a motherhood, up-in-the-air advocacy—there is promise of economic and cultural well-being that trickles down to the masses in tourism!). Contrast to Cambodia, where I heard the everyday man, woman, child mouth and live the ideals of TOURISM RESPONSIBILITY. Come on it, Pinoys, let’s get the tourism agenda rolling!!!

If it’s true that tourism development here is kanya-kanya or LGU-dependent, then we should be talking to our local leaders–that might just as well be our step one.

* * *
Read Part 1 of “Is the Philippines travel and tourism competitive?”

You can download the The World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report for 2009 from the WEF site.

elections are over. what now?

manilarat — Sun, 16 May 2010 10:24:42 +0000

It was my first time to vote for a president this week, and together with about 50,000 Pinoys, I voted for Nick Perlas. Maybe a small showing compared to the rest of the candidates, but that feat was not small at all.

Seeds have been planted, and in some places, given the chance to grow.

Many of us came out of the our apolitical caves to join in the May 2010 frenzy, but I hope that whatever effort we put into campaigning for our chosen candidates can also be translated to monitoring and supporting those same candidates, whether they won or not.

* * *

My best friend, Jason Gonzales, ran as Iloilo city councilor (first time in politics, and won as top 6 of 12 as an independent! so proud of him!), and we flew to Iloilo on election day itself to lend him our truest and loudest support.

The journey begins for Jae, and for those of us who share his dream and are taking the journey with him. In his words, “people can still be inspired, and continue to search for authentic leaders. I believe that when they’re shown a real alternative, they will mobilize and lend a hand.”

* * *

What of Nick and the people he’s met and inspired along the way?

“I will work on the platform (six pillars) outside of government …citizens have the power to do what they want and what they believe in ….” – Nicanor Perlas

In a spiritual battle, there are no defeats, only different forms of manifesting a spiritual ideal. Spiritual vision and deeds live on into the future, changing everything it meets. Rizal engaged in a spiritual battle. He did not “win” when he was executed. But his deeds have continued to resonate through decades, have inspired tens of thousands of Filipinos, and have changed the course of Philippine history.

We have a dynamic vision of the possible future of the Philippines. The Presidency was one path to realize this vision. But there are other ways, other paths, to attain this vision.

Divine Providence has given us the harder path to follow. We have been “chosen”, if we accept, to follow the harder path because we dared to thread paths that few have dared to follow before, if at all. This harder, new path is to strengthen the moral fabric of Filipinos through right thought, words, and action in order to revive the creativity of civil society itself. This cultural renaissance, in turn, will also become the fertile womb for birthing and nurturing new politics and green, socially responsible businesses.

We have often said during our political campaign: There is no political revolution, without a cultural transformation; and there is no cultural transformation without a deep spiritual revolution inside all those among us what have taken up the challenge of renewing our country.

- Excerpts from We are Moving On, Nick’s post-elections message

There is indeed something rising in this country… let’s keep our eyes open, our hearts hopeful and above all our spirits brave to meet what needs to met, where and how it needs to be met.

Sharing Nick’s platform below. Still relevant, still inspiring, even after the campaign.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas, mabuhay ang Pilipino.

is the philippines travel and tourism competitive?

manilarat — Tue, 11 May 2010 09:29:47 +0000

I’ve always hoped (and still hope) that tourism would get our country back in the game… but how do we really compare next to every other tourism-dependent (or hopeful) country out there?

A global study by the World Economic Forum lists the Philippines as 86th out of 133 countries overall in terms of travel and tourism competitiveness in 2009. In the Asia-Pacific region, we’re ranked 16th out of 25.

Dismal dismal ratings, but what makes a country travel and tourism competitive to begin with? I worked in the DOT before, and realized (out of frustration) that there’s more to tourism management than marketing. Who does the actual tourism development in this country? I could be wrong, but as far as I know, there is no centralized body whose main job is just to safeguard and promote our Tourism Competitiveness as a country. Independently, the LGUs create their own tourism products and attract investors, but who makes sure there is an overall plan or standard that is followed?

What makes a country a good tourist destination? My ready answers would be the attraction itself, and the tourism infrastructure that connects you as the tourist to your destination and makes sure your stay is as pleasant and repeatable as possible. But wow, didn’t realize the whole tourism development pie had much much more to consider!!!! The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report used 14 pillars for the rankings, which fall under three main categories as they relate to travel and tourism:

Regulatory Framework (government)

Policy rules and regulation : foreign ownership, business start up procedures, visa requirements, etc.
Environmental sustainability : environmental laws and implementation
Safety and security : business costs of terrorism and crime, police reliability, road accidents
Health and hygiene : number of doctors, access to sanitation and drinking water, hospitals
Prioritization of Travel & Tourism : marketing and branding, attendance in travel fairs, government expenditure for travel and tourism

Business environment and infrastructure

6. Air transport infrastructure : quality, availability of domestic and international flights, airport density
7. Ground transport infrastructure : quality of road, railroads and ports, domestic transportation network, road density
8. Tourism infrastructure : hotels, car rentals, ATMs
9. ICT infrastructure : Internet and mobile phone users, telephone lines
10. Price competitiveness in the T&T industry : ticket taxes and airport charges, fuel price, hotel price, purchasing power

Human, cultural, and natural resources

11. Human resources : education and training, availability of qualified labor
12. Affinity for Travel & Tourism : tourism openness, attitude of population toward foreign visitors, Extension of business trips recommended
13. Natural resources : Number of World Heritage natural sites, Protected areas, Quality of the natural environment, Total known species
14. Cultural resources : Number of World Heritage cultural sites, Sports stadiums, Number of international fairs and exhibitions, Creative industries exports

At first glance I knew dedbol tayo… mega FAIL in categories 1 and 2, and fingers-crossed for category 3, with only “natural resources” as our shining armor. What does the data say?

(Continue reading Part 2 of “Is the Philippines travel and tourism competitive?”)

* * *

You can download the The World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report for 2009 from the WEF site.

glimpses of the first world

manilarat — Sun, 09 May 2010 01:11:57 +0000

I always got turned off with “first world-third world” labels, as if lifestyles in different countries could really be rated (The Philippines is “third world”–does it mean we have third class lives by default?)…but but but, staying in the United States–a “first world” country– for the past three weeks, I really couldn’t help but admire their sense of structure and order.

Organized roads, traffic systems, public transport…

Street-level metro trains in Boston (I super enjoyed these!)

The Staten Island Ferry leaves New York’s South Harbor every half hour, and transports daily commuters for free!

Everything is well-connected and accessible to the average citizen…

…and to the average tourist! Signs signs signs everywhere! I never felt lost, even without a GPS (I’m old school, I like maps, and asking for directions).

The GPS technology is fantastic though, and it works! They said GPS is here in Manila too, but I wonder how often updates would have to be downloaded, given the random traffic changes and road blocks by the MMDA. Sidenote: One thing I didn’t like was that people there seemed to depend on GPS for their every move–hope they haven’t forgotten their innate sense of direction…!

Look at the Prius dashboard– so high tech!

The crowning glory of the first world lifestyle? OPEN SPACES. Green. Lots of green.

Central Park was lovely.

The Washington Monument wouldn’t have been so incredible without the vast open space around it. Where do we have such wide open spaces here in Manila?

I understand more deeply now a comment a Belgian friend made a few years ago– our sense of “parks” is seriously lacking in this country. We literally have parking lots for parks.

Where do I go to widen my insides? Ateneo and UP Diliman, sometimes the boardwalk by MOA…friends used to visit the American Memorial in the Fort, but I don’t know if they still allow random visits there. There’s also La Mesa Dam and Arrocerros in Manila, but I have yet to visit them (and strangely don’t feel compelled to do so).

We have a long way to go for sure…and we have a lot to learn from the first world, but should we even be aspiring for the same lifestyle?

a real NY cheescake!

manilarat — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:45:58 +0000

My mom told me my cousin Whitney loved loved loved the cheesecake at New York’s Grand Central Station, so we got her a box on our way to Connecticut last weekend.

The box says Junior’s most fabulous cheescake has been “voted no.1″ as “the best cheescake in N.Y.” by New York magazine!

It hit me much later that I was finally having an authentic New York cheesecake! Heehee.

One small plain cheesecake goes for about $15, the chocolate a bit higher.

Very cheesy, baked just like I like them. Could’ve been a bit tarter though, but I’m sure I’ll still get to finish the whole cake.

Junior’s is a cafe at the lower level of the Grand Central Station in New York.

my first spring!

manilarat — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:56:21 +0000

Mid-morning in Connecticut, April 2010

Flew to New York-Connecticut in a rush for less-than-happy reasons, but wow, seeing full-grown trees bursting with new green leaves was a nice pick-me-upper.

Spring does make you want to start anew. Bury the old, let the new grow inside, then burst at its ripening! Imagine having the seasons as your constant companion as you go through this birthing every year…

There’s a lot we miss out on from having just two seasons in the Philippines…

Now showing on Ortigas Ave: Bawal tumawid…

manilarat — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:09:45 +0000

Sequel to “Bawal tumawid, nakamamatay”: