Tutubi, in his never-ending quest to avoid EDSA traffic in the morning snakes through the inner roads of Quezon City, Manila, San Juan, Mandaluyong en route to the Republic of Makati (the "first world" fiefdom of Binay dynasty, the traffic capital of the Philippines that suffers from floods too despite billions in revenues and cash reserves).

One of those discoveries he's made was got lost in the Balete Drive (the infamous white lady street), Horsehoe drive, Benitez, to get to EDSA Santolan, and stumbled on the "makeshift" bus terminal of Dimple Star Transport servicing the Manila-Iloilo route via Mindoro Island (provinces of Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro) and Antique

the Dimple Star Transport RORO bus terminal on EDSA, Cubao near Santolan and Boni Serrano just beside Petron gas station (southbound). It's quite a long walk from MRT Araneta Center-Cubao Station though

Dimple Star bus fare to Iloilo from Cubao: PhP1,200.00
Travel time from Manila to Iloilo: 24 hours (departure time in Manila, same time the following day arrival time in Iloilo)


Dimple Star Transport bus terminals:

Cubao - Iloilo Trips via RORO Bus Stations:

Ali Mall Cubao bus station Telephone Number: +63.2.517.4677
Santolan bus station Telephone Number: +63.2.416.8956
Pasay bus station Telephone Number: +63.2.407.4614
Alabang bus station Telephone Number: +63.2.809.7796

Dimple Star Transport will transfer all terminals when the South Integrated Bus Terminal is completed (probably in Alabang, Muntinlupa City). PLease get in touch with Dimple Star Directly though its official website, facebook account, contact number for the latest bus trip schedule, fares, reservations, freight charges.


Related Posts:
Bus Terminals in Cubao
Bus Station in Pasay/Taft/LRT Buendia
Bus Stations in Pasay Taft EDSA Rotonda

Labels: Buses, Public Transportation

The annual festival of Paete, Laguna showcasing its traditional arts of ukit (carving) and taka (papier mache) that is scheduled near the birthday of Mariano Madrinan who was awarded a gold medal by the Spanish king for his Mater Dolorosa wood carving masterpiece displayed at the International Colonial and Export Exhibition in Amsterdam in 1883.


Ukit- Taka Festival Schedule of Activities:

September 23 - 26
8am Dekreta
Visual Arts Exhibit
Trade Booth Fair
Bulilit Exhibition

There will be a Higante making contest on September 26 where giants made of taka (papier mache) will be paraded around town

Sept 27
Brass Band Exhibition
Pasungaw/Bulilit Exhibit

1pm Ukit Bulilit (soap carving competition)
Woodcarving
Ice Carving

7pm Performing Arts Variety Show
Dance Contest

September 28, 2013 (Saturday)
6am Mariano Madrinan honor ceremony
1pm Mutya Taka
Taka Rosa
Pakulo (street dancing)

September 29, 2013 (Sunday)
10am Ice Carving Exhibition
Fruit and Vegetable Carving
Garnishing Demo

1pm Drum and Lyre Exhibition/Competition
6pm Awarding Ceremony
7pm Mr and Ms Paete (Beauty Contest)

Notes:

Venue will most probably be at the Paete Town Plaza, though not explicitly indicated.

Have to warn you on this, per experience and observation, the events there don't start on time, one or two hours late.
This bad habit should be changed by Paetenians if they really want to make the event famous.

The activities are typical of what you see in other festivals like the beauty contests, dance contests and street dancing (a good photo opportunity) though the demostration of ice carving, wood carving and garnishing are unique to Paete so far

In order for this festival to be famous, marketing should be improved by word of mouth, social media to make up for the perennial lack of funds.

The International Colonial and Export Exhibition in Amsterdam 1883 was a display of colonialism of imperial Europe where even locals of Java were on display in a human zoo.

Related Paete posts:
How to Get to Paete, Laguna
Tatlong Krus
Map of Paete, Laguna,
Paete Wood Carving
Salibanda

Labels: Festivals

Tutubi's home province is Laguna and it's no secret that his favorites from his home province is the popular, and traffic-casuing bakeshop of Orient The Original Buko Pie in Los Banos, Laguna.

Tutubi wishes a branch of the bakeshop opens in Manila or along the Rizal-Manila East Road en route to Quezon City that he usually takes, unlike the longer Calamba-SLEX route.

A few months ago, he chanced upon a billboard along Tagaytay-Sta. Rosa Road about the impending opening of the first branch of the popular bakeshop that has become synonymous with Laguna: The Original Buko Pie Bakeshop

the front signage of the bakeshop is nice, the original original shop in Los Banos is plain yet attracts many people and create traffic in the area. The Tagaytay Branch is actually in Silang, Cavite inside a Caltex gas station

the counter at the bakeshop. the menu and price list indicates PhP150.00 price per buko pie then. Tutubi returned there recently and price is now PhP170.00. Other products here are pineapple pies, espasol, cassava cake, and silvanas

The best buko pie in the Philippines, now available to Tagaytay visitors if they pass by Tagaytay - Sta. Rosa road. Best served hot, not too sweet with soft crust and just baked just right

The Original Buko Pie of Laguna, is still the best buko pie in the Philippines.
Should you challenge it, let Tutubi know so he can sample the challenger and give you his unbiased answer as this endorsement does not come with freebies nor because it came from Laguna. There are many posts here where he bashed restaurants and places in Laguna. :P

How to get there:
pass by Tagaytay- Sta Rosa Road, quite near PNP Academy but just before you reach Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Bakeshop open time is not known nor its telephone number for advance order/reservation or even franchise inquiry


Related Buko Pie Posts:

El Mare Buko Pie,
Orient The Original Buko Pie
G&B Buko Pie

Labels: Metro Tagaytay, Pasalubong

The move of the MMDA to build integrated bus terminals to limit provincial buses outside the city is really needed, but (Tutubi said but), it's implementation is wanting where the impact to commuters was not properly thought of and commuters, who were the ones affected, were not consulted.

The most glaring omission by the MMDA was the absence of the transfer buses/jeepneys to Lawton and Taft Avenue where most of those affected are heading. There are buses to EDSA passing by Uniwide Coastal Mall, particularly those going to NAIA terminals 1 and 2 (signboard MIA) but very few to accommodate the deluge of commuters from Cavite and Batangas

Expect the same chaos when the South Integrated Bus Terminal opens in Alabang, Muntinlupa (by DOTC) and the North Integrated Bus Terminal in Quezon City (reportedly temporarily at Trinoma Mall to cause major traffic there. (DPWH, it should be somewhere near Balintawak Market and LRT Station)

Herewith is the list of destinations and bus companies operating at the Uniwide Coastal Mall (Southwest Integrated Bus Terminal).
The information will be updated once available. Tutubi passed by last weekend but wasn't able to take pictures as he was driving)

Buses to Cavite routes:

Alfonso
Amadeo
Bacoor
Cavite City
Dasmarinas
General Trias
GMA (General Mariano Alvarez)
Imus
Indang
Kawit
Magallanes
Maragondon
Mendez
Naic
Noveleta
Rosario
Silang
Tagaytay City (not politically part of Cavite province)
Tanza
Ternate
Trece Martires

Batangas routes:

Balayan
Calaca
Calatagan
Lian
Nasugbu

Bus Companies, Bus Lines Operating/Making Stops there:

Crow Liner
DLTB (DLTBCo)
Erjohn & Almark
Genesis Transit
JAM Transit
Kirby Bus
Celyrosa
San Agustin Bus
Saulog Bus Line

Please call the bus company's contact numbers or visit their official website, if any, for current fares, trip schedules, chartered bus rates, reservations, freight (waybill) and other inquiries. Most of these bus companies have special trips to handle peak periods during holidays and long weekends in Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Holy Wednesday, Hole Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday), All Saints day, All Souls Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.

How to Get to Uniwide Coastal Mall:

you can get there via MRT Taft Avenue Station or LRT EDSA Station then ride buses on EDSA with signboard MIA. Online road map of Uniwide Coastal Mall is available here

Related Bus terminals

Bus Terminals in Cubao
Bus Station in Pasay/Taft/LRT Buendia
Bus Stations in Pasay Taft EDSA Rotonda

Labels: Buses, Public Transportation

Ever curious on how several barrios in Makati city surrounding Bonifacio Global City stand for?

Places like Cembo, Pembo and Comembo, used as addresses by some of Tutubi's classmates in college, located around and inside Fort Bonifacio before it was developed into what it is now?

Answer: The meaning of Cembo, Pembo, Rembo and Comembo

Enlisted Men's Barrios (EMBO) barangays are actually barrios that served as dwelling places of soldiers and their dependents
much like the Projects (Project 1, Project 2 et al) of Quezon City were for government workers

CEMBO: Central Enlisted Men's Barrio
REMBO: Riverside Enlisted Men's Barrio (there's West Rembo and East Rembo)
COMEMBO: Combat Enlisted Men's Barrio
PEMBO: Panther's Enlisted Men's Barrio (Panthers is another name for rangers)

The impending transfer of those barangays to Makati from Taguig City, makes Makati richer (already the riches city in the Philippines)

Impact:
better social services for citizens (yes, makati gives people's money away but does not do enough to improve traffic, flooding and other ills of the city)

Number coding with no window from 7am to 7pm as Taguig doesn't have number coding except on C5 and the service road similar to MMDA Number Coding