BGC traffic marshal Mahinay caught Tutubi and his ride with a flat tire. What he did was not any thing expected.

With all the recent bad press the Bonifacio Global City, with traffic marshals/security guards trapping motorists into "illegal parking" traffic violations and towing (wrecker), was traffic marshal Mahinay cast from a different mold?

Tutubi drove from Makati to BGC, specifically at the corner of 4th Avenue and 31st Street, in front of Net One Center (Silk Road Restaurant) and felt the uneven balance of his ride. His guess was confirmed when a bystander pointed to a flat tire

After a few minutes, traffic marshal Mahinay (wearing vest number 73) arrived and started to shoo away other parked/waiting vehicles with blinkers on.

Tutubi drove nearer the traffic marshal and informed him that he has a flat tire to which Mr. Mahinay volunteered to help to change it.

Tutubi went down to get the tools and to bring down the spare tire.

Traffic marshal Mahinay, Tutubi learned, was not knowledgeable in removing the tire (that Tutubi knows he has to kick and use entire body weight just to unbolt the tire. ). Instead of teaching traffic marshal Mahinay, he opted to drive to the nearest gasoline station (Shell on 5th avenue) to ask for assistance and also because it started to rain a bit.

Traffic marshal Mahinay instead of leaving, volunteered to escort Tutubi to the gas station

At the gas station, Tutubi was able to speak to a gasoline boy who knew how to change a Toyota Innova's flat tire, who did it under slight drizzle while Mahinay watches to know how to do it.

Bonifacio Global City (BGC) traffic marshal 73 Mahinay (in silhouette) watches over Scarlett (Tutubi's Toyota Innova ride) while the Shell employee replaces the tire.


After just a few minutes it was done, Tutubi gave the unnamed gasoline station attendant a small token for the act. He also offered the same token to traffic marshal Mahinay to which he declined, something not ordinary in this day and age.

to traffic marshal Mahinay, may your tribe increase, and be an example to others!

Labels: Random Acts of Kindness

UPDATE:

SMC will open the new segment of TPLEx on December 20 linking Rosales to Urdaneta, Pangasinan toll-free i.e free of charge
till January 20, 2015.

Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway (TPLEX) is a toll road being built by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to connect to SCTEX (Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway) all the way to Rosario, La Union to cut travel time to Baguio from 6 hours to around 3.5 hours.

The remainder of the tollroad segment to Rosario, La Union will be completed by December 2015, three years ahead of schedule.



Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway (TPLEx) toll gates:
La Paz in Tarlac City, Victoria, Gerona, Paniqui and Moncada in Tarlac;
Rosales, Urdaneta City and Pozzorrubio in Pangasinan,
Rosario in La Union.

Class 1 vehicles (multiply rates by 2 to get toll rates for Class 2 vehicles and by 3 for approximate toll fee for Class 3 vehicles

Related:
NLEX, SLEX, SCTEX Toll Fees

Labels: Roads and Highways

Motels in the Philippines don't have very good reputation, unlike abroad where they're just hotels. They're usually tagged as places to stay, for a short time, for discreet encounters and sex trysts of lovers, illicit or otherwise.

Motels, though primarily catering couples where privacy is valued, are legitimate cheap places to stay in Manila for weary travelers and even families, some even have themed rooms
there are at least three places in Metro Manila that are populated with the so called "lovers' motels": Sta Mesa (Manila), Pasig and Pasay City

For backpackers and budget travelers, these motels offer cheap accommodations that don't even follow strict check in/out hours with typical hotels, you only pay approximately the per hour rate of your stay

UPDATED February 2016 :)

Motels in Sta. Mesa, Manila

Dubbed the Motel Capital of the Philippines, many of these have names of flowers and usually called and belong to the Flower Group, are located on Valenzuela St., Old Sta Mesa and V. Mapa Streets near PUP (Polytechnic University of the Philippines) and Stop N Shop (a no longer extant place near Ramon Magsaysay)

Gardenia
Giliw Lodge
Halina
Ligaya Budget Hotel (roo rate as low as PhP350.00 for 3 hours)
Queensland Lodge
Prince Court Lodge
Rosal
Rose Garden Inn
Sunrise Hotel (with jacuzzi)
Town and Country Hotel


Old Sta Mesa street with Gardenia and Halina room rates for "short time" taxi rooms, garage rooms and overnight rates. most taxis you will see here do a maneuver called "biglang liko" :P

Motels in Pasig

scattered near Shaw Boulevard and along Hillcrest Drive and Christian Route, many of these hotels also offer very good pancit canton and cheap motel rates

Country Lodge
Dahlia Hotel
Hill View Lodge
King Arthur Palace
Mariposa Budget Hotel
Orchids Drive-in Hotel and Restaurant
Rosal Hotel (Jardin de Rosal)
Victoria Court Pasig (either Victoria Court Canley or Victoria Court Hillcrest): most expensive PhP1,850.00 room rate for 12 hours stay at deluxe room, PhP695 for 3 hours but worth it)

Motels in Pasay City

located along F.B. Harrison, EDSA and Roxas Boulevard near Heritage Hotel

Aliw Inn
Copacobana Apartment Hotel
Diamond Inn
Liza Lodge
Mabuhay Manor
Pinoy Pamilya Hotel
Sogo Grand Hotel
Victoria Court Gil Puyat

Motels in Bagong Barrio, Caloocan (near Balintawak, Quezon City)

Victoria Court North EDSA
Monalisa Lodge
Sogo Hotel
Queensland Hotel

Others:

Astrotel
Sohotel



Notes:

garage rooms are hotels where you enter and park your vehicles on the ground floor then you walk up the stairs going up to your room. Places are usually dark and privacy guaranteed, you will only meet a roomboy who will also take your orders, check your room and take your payments. How did I know these without really knowing first hand? Google :P

taxi rooms are rooms where taxis take you and you alight and ride taxis waiting for you. the entrance and exits are usually covered to protect your privacy, in case you need it

these hotels/motels reported are fully-booked during Valentines Day

most of these hotels offer discount cards, accept credit card payments (visa, mastecard) and even ATM cards of BancNet.

Please get in touch with the hotels/motels offiical website , if any, or call for telephone numbers/contact numbers for latest room rates, promos, discount and food menu prices

lastly, hidden cameras and one way mirrors are just urban legends in motels, it's their business, one faux pas or sex scandal video leak and their business is done.

Labels: Accommodations, Manila Hotels

Tara na, biyahe tayo!

Start planning for your trips for 2015 and buy your airplane tickets at promo prices soon with the recent release of national holidays for 2015 (and long weekends) per Proclamation No. 831:


A. Regular Holidays

New Year’s Day – 1 January (Thursday)
Maundy Thursday – 2 April
Good Friday – 3 April
Araw ng Kagitingan – 9 April (Thursday)
Labor Day – 1 May (Friday)
Independence Day – 12 June (Friday)
National Heroes Day – 31 August (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day – 30 November (Monday)
Christmas Day – 25 December (Friday)
Rizal Day – 30 December (Wednesday)

B. Special (Non-Working) Day

Chinese New Year – 19 February (Thursday)
Black Saturday – 4 April
Ninoy Aquino Day – 21 August (Friday)
All Saints Day – 1 November (Sunday)
Additional special (non-working) days
– 2 January (Friday)
- 24 December (Thursday)
Last Day of the Year – 31 December (Thursday)

C. Special Holiday (for all schools)
EDSA Revolution Anniversary – 25 February (Wednesday)

national holidays for 2015, long weekends list

Labels: Floobydust

The exotic lure of Asian vacation destinations makes them a big draw for many people and there are some fantastic places to visit. Cheap flights to Hong Kong are low-priced and are backed up by world-class service. This makes it an affordable Asian destination and the following are a few tips for getting flights at a budget price.

Use Comparison Sites

A good place to start when trying to find cheap airfares to Hong Kong is to use flight comparison websites. They can search through the deals offered by hundreds of airlines and are an easy way to get an idea of typical prices. Use a few to see what they deals are like and identify the cheapest airlines for your route.

Airline’s Website

If you see cheap fares for a particular airline on a comparison site, it can also be worth checking the airline’s website. They may offer the flight at a cheaper cost and this is worth checking.

Consider Budget Airlines

A number of budget airlines have Hong Kong as a destination these days and it can be worth checking any that serve the route you are traveling. Budget carriers might not be included in the details provided by comparison websites, so it is worth checking these separately as they may offer unbeatable prices.

Book Early

The best prices for many flights tend to disappear early, so check the costs as soon as you know your dates of travel. If you get in early there may be promotional prices on offer that you can take advantage of to get a cheaper fare.

Day of Travel

When searching for flights try to be flexible on the actual day of travel. Prices can vary across the week, with midweek flights generally more affordable than weekend travel. Checking costs on a few different days around your time of travel might save you some money.

A trip to Hong Kong need not be expensive and with a little planning and forethought it should be possible to find flights at a cheap price. The tips above are some ideas that can help with this. Take them on board to save some money on travel so you have more to spend on the many attractions Hong Kong offers once you arrive.

Labels: Advertorials, Hong Kong

On the 153rd birthday of Philippine national hero, get to know what the man's favorite eats, sort of like a foodie adventure into his stomach.

What were Jose Rizal's favorite food?

Answers: tinola (which was served at an event in the opening chapter of Noli Me Tangere), ginisang munggo, and tuyo (which was called sardinas secas). For dessert: toasted pastillas, yema, and empanada

the dried fish called tuyo and fried rice, Jose Rizal's favorite breakfast

What's his favorite fish?

Answer: ayungin (silver perch), endemic to Laguna de Bay, served in different ways, with hefty servings of rice. This was also narrated in his acerbic novel Noli Me Tangere where he wrote "the ayungin is good for sinigang; leave the biya for the escabeche, the dalag and the buan-buan for pesa." They are actually typical Filipino food.


What's his favorite breakfast?

Answer: no happy meals here but it's fried rice, tuyo and tsokolate eh (Spanish hot chocolate using tablea)

Now, Jose Rizal's secret to his genius is in his genes then later developed through hard work and study. It will not help you be a genius if you eat the same food he ate but at least you know geniuses eat like ordinary people.

Labels: Filipino Food, Jose Rizal

Here's an updated list of countries whose nationals can freely enter the Philippines visa-free or rather visa on arrival taken from the latest post from the Department Of Foreign Affairs


LIST OF COUNTRIES ALLOWED VISA-FREE ENTRY

GUIDELINES ON THE ENTRY OF TEMPORARY VISITORS TO THE PHILIPPINES

Nationals from countries listed below who are traveling to the Philippines for business and tourism purposes are allowed to enter the Philippines without visas for a stay not exceeding thirty (30) days, provided they hold valid tickets for their return journey to port of origin or next port of destination and their passports valid for a period of at least six (6) months beyond the contemplated period of stay. However, Immigration Officers at ports of entry may exercise their discretion to admit holders of passports valid for at least sixty (60) days beyond the intended period of stay.

Nationals from the following countries are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a
period of stay of thirty (30) days or less:

Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil*
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Costa Rica
Cote d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel*
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Monaco
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Norway
Oman
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Korea
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Republic of Tanzania
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe

*The following are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay not exceeding
fifty-nine (59) days:

1. Holders of Brazil passports; and
2. Holders of Israel passports

The following are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay not exceeding fourteen
(14) days:

1. Holders of Hong Kong Special Administrative (SAR) passports
2. Holders of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) passports

The following are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay not exceeding seven (7) days:
1. Holders of Portuguese Passports issued in Macao
2. Holders of Hong Kong British passports.

Important Note:

Nationals who are subjects of deportation/blacklist orders of the Department and the Bureau of Immigration shall not be admitted to the Philippines. Further inquiries may be addressed to the Visa Division (Telephone numbers:556-0000 and ask the operator to connect you to Visa Division), Department of Foreign Affairs, 2330 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City or to any Philippine Embassy or Consulate abroad.

for Swedish nationals, you may check out visum usa-ESTA,
for Indian nationals, Visa for Indians and for Chinese nationals visa for Citizens of China

Source: Department of Foreign Affairs

Labels: Philippine Visa

(This blog's eight anniversary post)

I've been blogging for more than ten years now but this travel blog is celebrating just its eight years in the blogosphere (quite old by the way, the blog, not the blogger)

One of the most frequently asked questions about travels and bloggers is this:

Why do we travel?

I travel because I want to explore the world, because it's there. I want to learn. I want to see, taste, experience something different

I want to get out of my comfort zone, to try new things, to escape from the hustle and bustle of life

When I started traveling, I had a bucket list of sorts like traveling to all 80 provinces (now 81) of the Philippines, to visit all countries of ASEAN, to set foot on 6 continents. My latest count on provinces is around 64 and I lately slowed down so I can prepare for my future. I have visited Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore (2x), Thailand (2x), Mumbai (India) and Sydney (Australia)

When you're growing older (i said older not old), you realize so many things.

No longer am I in a hurry to visit new places and blog about it. I still have the itch, it's such that I have no time now.

As i've always been mentioning that you need four things in order to travel: passion, strength, money and time. Take one of them away and you can't travel and explore

Now, I've realized what is the most important thing that my travels did to me:

A beautiful sunrise accentuated by reflection from serene sea of Coron in Palawan taken exactly ten years ago

It's actually not the number of places you've visited, cultures experienced and food tasted. It's how you were able to see the best of cultures you've seen and use the knowledge to improve yourself.

With traveling, I've become more friendly to nature, more non-judgmental, my taste for food become well-rounded, I've become more nationalistic, observed discipline even if others are not looking.

What about you? Why do you travel? What did your travels do to you?

Labels: Travel Blogging

"Buwis buhay" aptly describes this Pangasinan trip straight from Zambales where almost all ingredients of Murphy's Law were present: unplanned trip, wrong turn due to unreliable information provided by a local, twenty kilometers of very rough road, vehicle was trapped on the sand of the beach and had to be helped by three locals who helped Tutubi push Scarlett back on the road then an almost empty gas tank with the nearest gas station many miles away, it's getting dark where 24/7 gas stations may not be present.

Osmena Beach and Tambobong White Beach are the hidden gems of Dasol, Pangasinan, unreachable by the usual tourists and where you can find only one beach resort (you can pitch a tent on the beach though if you're adventurous enough as a small community of fishermen lives around the area)

The unplanned adventure road trip to Osmena Beach and Tambobong White Beach in Dasol, Pangasinan in pictures:

after twenty kilometers which took more than one hour from the main highway, Tutubi and Scarlett reached this road fronting Tambobong Beach. It's past 6pm and the sun's about to set

Scarlett got trapped on the sand of the beach. Backing up didn't get it. Luckily, three locals in two motorcycles passed by and helped pushed her back to the road.

Osmena, Dasol, Pangasinan written near the bow of the banca. Notice the fine white sand?

one end of nice secluded beach with coral stones and small caves, pointed out by some locals as the location shoot of several teleserye like GMA7's Dyesebel starring Marian Rivera

it took Tutubi more than an hour to get there but he stayed for just about fifteen minutes to take pictures. This sunset though is priceless!

Coming Up:
How to Get to Dasol, pangasinan,
Beach Resorts in Tambobong
Travel tips et al

Notes:
Tutubi truly knows Scarlett well. He can go running empty from his office in Makati to Quezon City endure heavy EDSA traffic and gas up at his favorite gas station offering EuroDiesel 4.

The wrong turn was due to right direction but very bad information by a local. Tutubi should have driven to the next town where the road is so much better even if longer.

The beach is open to the public, no entrance fee, you can actually pitch a tent there to camp overnight.

Labels: Beaches, Ilocos Region, Pangasinan

Want to visit Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos, Pangasinan on a tight budget? Here's latest information on how to get there plus standard price of island-hopping/boat ride rentals for day tour or overnight tours.

UPDATED: November 2015

Travel Guide to Hundred Islands National Park:

One of the large boats for hire for island-hopping in Hundred Islands, Alaminos, Pangasinan

Hundred Islands Rates/Fees (to be booked at Lucap Wharf in Alaminos, Pangasinan)

Entrance Fee and Island-hopping rates are standard, no worries against overcharging here

Day Tour:
Entrance Fee: PhP40.00
Small Boat (1-5 persons): Ph1,000.00
Medium Boat (6-10 persons): PhP1,300.00
Big Boat (11-15 persons): PhP1,500.00

Overnight Tour:
Entrance Fee: PhP80.00
Small Boat (1-5 persons): PhP2,000.00
Medium Boat (6-10 persons): PhP2,500.00
Big Boat (11-15 persons): PhP3,000.00

A bit of spelunking/caving on one of small islands



How to get to Hundred Islands National Park:

How to Commute to Hundred Islands

from Manila, take a bus to Alaminos, Pangasinan

Bus to Alaminos, Pangasinan:
Victory Liner
Cubao to Alaminos, Pangasinan via Camiling, Tarlac
Fare: PhP393.00
Trip Schedules: 4am (first trip), 5:30am, 6am, 7am, 8am, 9am,
10am, 11am, 12nn, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm
10:40pm, 11:50pm (last trip)
Travel time around 5 hours

Five Star Bus
Cubao to Alaminos: PhP393.00 (air-conditioned) PhP300.00 (ordinary)
Pasay to Alaminos: PhP403.00 (air-conditioned) PhP308.00 (ordinary)
Trip schedules: please call Five Star hotline +63.927.712.4349 for the latest bus trip schedule


Driving Directions to Hundred Islands:

From Manila, head to EDSA then NLEX and SCTEX all the way to Tarlac then take the road going to Camiling, San Clemente, Mangatarem (Pangasinan), Aguilar, Bugallon, Labrador, Sual, and Alaminos

Activities:

swimming, snorkeling, diving, beach bumming (some beaches have lots of jelly fishes (dikya) if in season), rappeling

Coming Up:

Hundred Islands Beach Resorts, Hotels, Accommodations

Labels: Ilocos Region, Islands, National Parks, Pangasinan, Travel Guides

For those like Tutubi who'll be stuck in Metro Manila for Holy Week and needed to chill literally, all SM malls in Manila are closed in Holy Week, there's Walter Mart, by the way, that will be open on Holy Thursday.

So to answer the question is Walter Mart open during Holy Week?

UPDATED March 2016

Walter Mart Mall Schedule for Holy Week 2015:

March 24, 2016: Maundy Thursday All malls open (up to 7 p.m., 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.)
March 25, 2016: Good Friday All malls closed
March 26, 2016: Black Saturday All malls open (up to 8 p.m., 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.)
March 27, 2016: Regular mall operating hours

WalterMart Mall locations:

North Luzon

Gapan City, Nueva Ecija
City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Plaridel, Bulacan
Guiguinto, Bulacan
Sta. Maria, Bulacan



Metro Manila

North EDSA, Quezon City
E. Rodriguez Sr., Quezon City
Pasong Tamo Ave., Makati City
Dr. A. Santos Ave., Paranaque City


South Luzon

Gen. Trias, Cavite
Dasmarinas, Cavite
Carmona, Cavite
Trece Martires, Cavite
Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Cabuyao, Laguna
Real, Calamba City, Laguna
Makiling, Calamba City, Laguna
Tanauan City, Batangas
Bicutan, Parañaque City
Sucat, Parañaque City


Related Post:

Ayala Malls Holy Week Schedule
LRT, LRT2 and MRT Holy Week Schedule
Trinoma Mall Hours Holy Week

Labels: Holy Week, Malls

UPDATED March 2016)


Tutubi knows most people will leave Metro Manila during Holy Week, but this time, he won't be one of them in escaping the summer sun of the metropolis to the beach or Visita Iglesia outside Mega Manila. He intends to stay in the big city probably to drive around to enjoy traffic-free thoroughfares (except EDSA).

If you're like Tutubi staying again in Manila in Holy Week, brace yourself for super heavy traffic on EDSA and other parts of the city as DPWH will have concrete re-blocking from Tuesday (April 15) to Sunday April 20. Normally, MMDA suspends number coding starting Tuesday April 15. Makati though, historically, does not suspend number coding during Holy Week


Only SM Baguio is really open for business during Holy Week (Robinsons in Tagaytay is also open)

Herewith is the Updated latest Schedules of SM Mall Hours Schedule for Holy Week 2016:

March 21, 2016 Monday NORMAL SCHEDULE 10am to 9pm
March 22, 2016 Tuesday NORMAL SCHEDULE 10am to 9pm
March 23, 2016 Wednesday NORMAL SCHEDULE 10am to 9pm
March 24, 2016 Maundy Thursday CLOSED
March 25, 2016 Good Friday CLOSED
March 26, 2016 Black Saturday OPEN (10am to 10pm) (others up to 9pm only)
March 27, 2016 Easter Sunday OPEN (10am to 10pm) (others up to 9pm only)

Normal schedules of malls: Mondays to Thursdays is from 10am to 9pm and 10am to 10pm on Fridays to Sundays. Restaurants around SM Mall of Asia are open.

Select SM Mall of Asia during Holy Week:

Veranda Tenants – Regular Operating Hours
SM by the Bay – Regular Operating Hours
SM Marketmall Dasmarinas
Wet & Dry Market – 24 Hours
Bagsakan – 24 Hours
Mezza Savemore – 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Place Malate, Robinsons Magnolia, Forum Robinsons (Pioneer) are all closed except Robinsons Tagaytay (similar to SM baguio) which is open and on regular mall hours.

Ayala Malls' Trinoma, Glorietta, Greenbelt, Alabang Town Center, Fairview Terraces are all closed on Holy Thursday and Good Friday but open on Black Saturday and Easter Sunday.

Bonifacio High Street will be closed on Holy Thursday and Good Friday except for some restaurants around the mall. there are also station of the cross at the Fort.

Lucky Chinatown Mall, 168 Shopping Mall, 999 Mall, Fisher Mall, Starmall, Puregold, Metro Gaisano, Walter Mart (Waltermart), SunStar Mall,

Disclaimer: Some malls have different operating hours e.g. in Holyweek 2008, SM Baguio was open due to the influx of tourists and holy week vacationers to the City of Pines.

List of SM Malls for your information along with contact numbers (tip: call them up to confirm)
SM City North EDSA
SM City Sta. Mesa (formerly SM Centerpoint)
SM Megamall
SM City Cebu
SM Southmall
SM City Bacoor
SM City Fairview
SM City Iloilo
SM City Manila
SM City Pampanga
SM City Sucat
SM City Davao
SM City Cagayan de Oro
SM City Bicutan
SM City Lucena
SM City Baguio
SM City Marilao
SM City Dasmariñas
SM City Batangas
SM City San Lazaro
SM Center Valenzuela
SM Center Molino
SM City Sta. Rosa
SM City Clark
SM Mall of Asia
SM Center Pasig
SM City Lipa
SM City Bacolod
SM City Taytay
SM Center Muntinlupa
SM City Marikina
SM City Rosales
SM City Baliwag
SM City Naga
SM Center Las Piñas
SM City Rosario
SM City Tarlac
SM City San Pablo
SM City Calamba
SM City Novaliches
SM City Masinag
SM Marketmall Dasmariñas
SM City Olongapo
SM City Consolacion
SM City San Fernando
SM City General Santos
SM Lanang Premier
SM Aura Premier
SM City BF Parañaque

It's recommended to try to call the published telephone numbers of Mall operators for the updated schedule. You can also try to contact the official websites of SM Prime Holdings, the Operator of SM Malls, for the official schedule for Holy Week 2014.

Some SM Malls, mostly those outside Metro Manila, have free parking. Others have flat parking fee from PhP50.00 for covered parking and PhP25.00 for open parking.

Note: No information on Eastwood City Mall if open during holy week.

Related Post:

Ayala Malls Holy Week
LRT, LRT2 and MRT Holy Week Schedule
Trinoma Mall Hours Holy Week

SM mall hours holy week 2015, is SM open during holy week?, SM Mall of Asia Holy Week 2015, What are SM mall hours in holy week?

Labels: Holy Week, Malls

For people looking for updated information in going to Gapan and Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan towns along the route.

ES Transport

ES Transport bus terminal in Cubao, Quezon City is on EDSA north-bound near New York Street, Genesis Transport and opposite Victory Liner and Reymond Transportation

Telephone Numbers:
ES Transport Cubao Contact Number: +63.2.912.5975; +63.2.421.4339

Bus Fare/ticket prices (to be updated):
Cubao to Jaen: PhP
Cubao to Cabanatuan: PhP

Route/destinations:
Cubao to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija

EDSA, NLEX, Sta. Rita exit, Baliuag, San Rafael, San Ildefonso,
San Miguel and Nueva Ecija towns of Gapan (and San Isidro), San Leonardo (and Jaen), Santa Rosa, Cabanatuan


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

Labels: Buses, Public Transportation

Wishing to visit the cool mountains of the Cordilleras to escape the summer heat? There's currently only one bus line going
to Banaue, Ifugao for you to see the Banaue Rice Terraces.

These information on Ohayami Trans Bus to Banaue, Kiangan, Lagawe and Baguio City (Benguet)

Ohayami Bus Company Trip Schedule
Sampaloc, Manila to Banaue, Ifugao daily at 9pm and 10pm
Bus Fare/Ticket Price: PhP450.00 one-way
Ticket may be reserved but you need to pay for it in advance

Main Office: Ohayami Shop , Dullagan, Pob. West, Lagawe, Ifugao, 3600
Manila terminal: cor, J. fajardo st., Lacson ave., Sampaloc
Contact number: * 09276493055 , * 02-5160501 (manila) * 09175617344 (ifugao)
Email: reservation@ohayamitrans.com
website: www.ohayamitrans.com




How to get to Ohayami Trans Bus terminal:

for an updated, accurate online map of Ohayami Trans Bus terminal, please click here

From LRT 2 Pureza Station, walk along Ramon Magsaysay then board a jeepney with signboard Tayuman (The Tayuman - Lardizabal jeepney route) at the corner of M dela Fuente (formerly Trabajo). Drop off at the corner of J. Fajardo. You can walk here, take a pedicab or a jeepney bound to Quiapo (the Quiapo- Lealtad jeepneys) and alight after crossing A.H. Lacson (formerly Gov. Forbes). There's a Seaoil gas station opposite as landmark.

From LRT Tayuman Station, walk along Tayuman Street going to Oroquieta then board a jeepney with signboard Lardizabal (The Tayuman - Lardizabal jeepney route). Drop off at the corner of J. Fajardo and Vicente Cruz. You can take a pedicab or a jeepney bound to Quiapo (the Quiapo- Lealtad jeepneys) and alight after crossing A.H. Lacson (formerly Gov. Forbes). There's a Seaoil gas station opposite as landmark.

If you're taking the jeepney from Taft or from Quezon City, alight at the corner of Espana and Lacson (near UST) then walk to the terminal (going to Nagtahan Bridge). You will pass by G.V. Florida bus terminal.

*the Ohayami Trans bus station can best be reached by taxi from LRT 1 Tayuman station, and LRT 2 Legarda or Pureza station.

Driving directions to Ohayami Trans Bus Station:

from Makati, the easiest route (but not necessarily the fastest as always) is via Buendia, right to Osmena Highway, right to Quirino Avenue cross Nagtahan Bridge to A.H. Lacson then turn left to Fajardo St.

from Quezon City, head to Quezon Avenue, pass Mabuhay Rotonda (formerly Welcome Rotonda) to Espana Boulevard then turn left to A.H. Lacson


Related Posts:

Where to Stay in Banaue Accommodations/Hotels
How to get to Banaue Rice Terraces, How to get to Banaue, Ifugao

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

Labels: Cordillera Administrative Region, Ifugao, Public Transportation

Just two away from Manila is this hideaway of the rich and famous, of which Tutubi is neither of rich nor famous, via CAVITex and the new Kaybiang Tunnel connecting the towns of Ternate, Cavite with Nasugbu, Batangas, Pico de Loro is synonymous with the nearby Mt. Pico de Loro well-loved by mountaineers.

Located inside Hamilo Coast of Nasugbu, Batangas is a condo resort development with a hotel and beach club. It has Pico Sands hotel for guests and events (like a planning session attended by Tutubi that's why he was able to gain access to the facilities), weddings, prenups, parties, swimming pool, a beach for swimming, swimming pools, a man-made lagoon surrounded by mid-rise condominiums for sale/lease/rent or member-only use.

Pictures of Pico De Loro, Nasugbu, Batangas:


the lobby of Pico Sands Hotel

the two queen size beds of Pico Sands Hotel room. Room also comes with a 32" LCD TV and cable TV provided by Cignal with several HD channels (but do you go to places like this just to watch TV? c'mon!)

the key card access of Pico Sands Hotel

Pico Bar and Restaurant just near the lobby of Pico Sands Hotel

sample menu for order and pick-up from your room via Pico Bar and Restaurant. The hotel does not have room deliveries. Just an FYI on food prices and menu for budget purposes


the shower has a sliding glass door with shower controls quite far away from the shower. very nice as Tutubi opens the shower but stays away from it to avoid eeither too cold or too hot water

lotus and lotus flowers floating on the man-made lagoon

the placid water of the man-made lake of Pico de Loro is perfect for early morning photo opportunities


Comments/Review of Pico de Loro:

Coming Up:

The beach of Pico de Loro, Nasugbu, Batangas
How to Get to Nasugbu, Batangas

Other interesting places in Nasugbu, Batangas:

Club Punta Fuego
Munting Buhangin Beach Resort
Beach Resorts for Summer Outing

Disclaimer:
as always, this is not a sponsored post. You may get in touch with Pico de Loro for the latest room rates, day tour rates if not posted on Pico de Loro official website.

Labels: Batangas, Batangas Resorts, Calabarzon, Hotels, Hotels and Resorts, Southern Tagalog

Cavite is really home to nice, cheap beach resorts near Manila for less than two hours via Cavitex. Tutubi's doing research on Cavite beach resorts, beyond Lido Beach Resort he visited a few years back besides Puerto Azul Beach Club, the first true beach resort he visited from way back in 1998.

Herewith is his compiled list of Beach Resorts in Cavite (with or without swimming pool), with official websites, telephone numbers, email address/contact details, current room rates/entrance fee, swimming pool (or infinity pool if available)
and other facilities.

UPDATED: January 2016

Bacoor Beach Resorts

no white beaches here, too dirty. expect vendors/fishermen of talaba and tahong

Kawit Beach Resorts

Cavite City Beach Resorts

Noveleta Beach Resorts

Cavite beaches are all inside Manila Bay except those in Naic and Ternate where you can see fine white sand beaches with clear water and trash-free

Lido Beach Resort
Telephone Number: +63.947.150.0298

Villamar Beach Resort
Entrance fee: PhP30.00, shower stalls at only PhP15.00/person.
Picnic tables rental prices: PHP100.00, PhP250.00
Overnight Accommodations (Room rates): PhP1,000/2 persons (ordinary fan room, extra person PhP100.00), PhP3,000.00 for 2 persons aircon room, PhP200.00 extra person)
Contact Numbers for reservations/inquiries:Baby +63.929.8905763; Lolit +63.920.408.4444

Rosario Beach Resorts

La Isla Bonita De Salinas
Entrance Fee/Admission: PhP20.00 (free for Rosario residents)

Mount Sea Resort and Hotel
Room Rates: PhP2998.00 (budget package), PhP5,500.00 (superior)
Telephone Number: +63.46.438.3888
Remarks: nice facilities

Tanza Beach Resorts

La Playa Resort
Address: Halayhay Rd, Tanza
Telephone Number: +63.46.686.9069

Starfish Beach Resort

Tanza Oasis Hotel and Resort
Room Rates: PhP2,500.00 to PhP5,000.00
Telephone Numbers: +63.2.524.3876;+63.2.708.0704;+63.2.516.5432

Villa Excellance Beach Resort in Tanza
Here is the list of the rates and entrance fees of Villa Excellance Beach Resort in Tanza, Cavite.
Beach Entrance Fee: PhP40.00 (weekday), PhP50.00 Weekends and holidays
Swimming Pool rates: PhP60.00 adults (PhP70.00 overnight)

Villa Buenaflor Resort
Address: Brgy. Calibuyo Tanza Cavite
Telephone Number: +63.46.886.1014

Villa Christina Resort

Villa Excellance Beach Resort
Address: Brgy. Sahud Ulan, Postema, Tanza 4108
Telephone Numbers: +63.46.885.2220


Naic Beach Resorts

Aroma Beach Resort,
Naic Cavite
Phone Number: +63.939.407.1304

Ternate Beach Resorts:

* the best beaches in Cavite can really be found in the southernmost town of Ternate due to its distance
from Manila, meaning it's already clean, unlike filth you see on the beach of Noveleta (sorry, Tutubi is an honest blogger)

Boracay de Cavite Beach Resort (Marine Base)
Entrance fee: PhP100.00, PhP200.00 overnight
Parking Fee: PhP50.00 jeep/cars
Remarks: the beach has a checkpoint as it's inside a General Lim Marine barracks.

Caylabne Bay Resort
Website: http://www.caylabne.com.ph/‎
Contact Number: +63.2.813.8520

Little Boracay Ternate (also known as Marine Base Ternate Beach)
Entrance fee: PhP100 per head
Cottage is P350
Overnight stay room rate PhP500.00

Marine Base Katungkulan Beach Resort
Entrance fee: PhP100.00, PhP200.00 overnight
Remarks: the beach has a checkpoint as it's inside a General Lim Marine barracks.

Puerto Azul Golf and Country Club
Day tour rates:
PhP 650/person with buffet lunch (subject to minimum guests), PhP 450/person with plated lunch,
PhP 300/person – just entrance fee , no meals
Remarks: Tutubi visited this place in 1998 but current pictures in the Internet seems nothing much changed :(
this used to be an exclusive, invitation-only resort then. Puerto Azul website not visible now
Contact Numbers: +63.932.863.6070; +63.919.533.5391

Ternate Beach Resort
Entrance Fee: PhP75.00 day tour, PhP150.00 overnight
Telephone Numbers:
Ms. Beth +63.932.211.2725; +63.908.862.7785
+63.46.515.0662
Website: http://ternatebeachresort.weebly.com/contacts.html

RanRich Beach Resort
Address: San Jose 4, Ternate, Cavite
Entrance Fee: day swimming rates at PhP100.00
Room Rates start at PhP1000.00 including big groups, Cottage rentals at PhP500 and up
Contact Number: +63.908.876.5696
Remarks: with big swimming pool, you can also pitch a tent on the beach (PhP150.00) but bring your own tent at the campsite.
You can bring your own food and drinks at no corkage fee

Beach resorts in Cavite with swimming pool

Coming up:

How to Get to Cavite: Map, Bus and Jeepney routes

Labels: Beaches, Calabarzon, Cavite, Cavite Resorts, Southern Tagalog

For anyone wishing to go explore Baguio and Olongapo from Cavite or vice versa, latest information on Saulog buses you see on EDSA going to/from these places. Note that Cavite trips terminal is at Coastal Mall in Paranaque City.

Saulog Transit
Address:
Dra Salamanca, Cavite City, Cavite
Telephone Number: +63.46.431.1753

Bus Routes/Destinations:

Cavite to Olongapo
Cavite to Baguio
Ternate to Olongapo

Bus Trip Schedules:

Cavite City - Olongapo City (via NLEX, San Fernando and Subic)

1st trip 1am
Last trip 6pm
Interval: 1 hr

Cavite City - Baguio:

First Trip 2:30am
Last Trip 8:30am

Baguio - Cavite City

First Trip: 12:30pm
Last Trip 12:00



Bus Fares:
Olongapo to SM North EDSA: PhP207.00
Cavite to Olongapo: PhP269.00
Cavite City - Baguio: PhP494.00
Ternate - Olongapo: PhP300.00
Mendez - Olongapo: PhP325.00

Cavite trips to Ternate will pass by Bacoor, Noveleta, Kawit, Naic, Tanza and Ternate. there's also the Olongapo to Mendez trips

Please get in touch directly with Saulog Transit company for updated fares, freight, cargo, complaints and inquiries.
Official website: none

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

Labels: Buses, Public Transportation

Dinosaurs Island Baguio is the summer capital's latest attraction. It features moving dinosaurs brought back to life using animatronics technology from Italy, the same technology used in other dinosaur islands park (e.g. Clark).

Dinosaurs Island is inside Baguio Ecopark along Marcos Highway near the viaduct and after the tunnel (if you're coming from Manila. Map of Baguio Ecopark is available here (via OpenStreetMap, updated by Tutubi).

Dinosaurs Island Baguio Ecopark (information from official website)


How to get to Baguio Ecopark:

Driving Directions from Baguio:
Drive down along Marcos Highway and take the first right before the viaduct.

From Manila via Marcos Highway:
Take first right after the tunnel before the flyover.

Operating Hours:
Park is Open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Daily!
(please inquire from their contact number or email address if open during Holy Week, and other holidays (Christmas Day, New Years Day, All Saints Day et al)

Dinosaurs Island Entrance Fee/Rates/Ticket Prices:

Adults: PhP 350.00
Children, 4-12 yrs old: Php 300.00
3 years old and below: Free

Labels: Baguio City, Cordillera Administrative Region, Theme Parks

Tutubi's helper went home to Iloilo for a one week, paid vacation and also RORO bus fare (it's her choice, Tutubi's willing to shoulder the round-trip airfare but her sister inisted they take the long, sea-going bus ride unlike her other helper who takes the round-trip flight to/from Cebu via Cebu Pacific. One of the ways to keep the loyalty of maids/helpers/yaya/kasambahay as dedicated ones are really hard to find)

The information you will see on this post is about the Araneta Center Bus Station where several bus lines going to the provinces
mostly going south to Visayas and Mindanao can be found for lack of dedicated bus terminal accessible to the commuting public. This bus terminal will, hope it's soon, be replaced by the Southwest Bus Terminal serving Cavite and Batangas (including Tagaytay), North Bus Terminal (no final location but it's either the site of Manila Seedling Bank, UP Diliman near Commonwealth or temporarily at Trinoma (stupid, Tutubi thinks) and by the South Bus Terminal (probably at FTI Complex in Taguig) to serve all southbound buses not served by the Southwest Terminal


A drive-by picture of Araneta Center Bus Station (through a moist glass window thus the spots

Partial list of Bus Companies at Araneta Center Bus Station:

Alps The Bus Inc

Ceres Tours: Iloilo, Cebu

Dimple Star

Gasat Express: Antique, Iloilo, Capiz

RORO Bus Company: Masbate, Mindoro

RSL: Bicol

Ultrabus: Samatr, Leyte

Valisno Express: Antique, Iloilo, Capiz

The RORO Bus booking counter where you can reserve bus seats to Masbate and San Jose Occidental Mindoro. Several other counters like this can be found at Araneta Center Bus terminal for bus ticket bookings and seat reservations. You can see bus telephone numbers on the kiosks

Note: this post will be updated to reflect bus company contact numbers, bus routes/destinations and fares, once available.
This bus terminal is full of people in peak times like Holy Week (particularly Holy Wednesday and Hoy Thursday), Christmas, New Year and All Saints Day

How to Get to Araneta Center Bus Station:

It's accessible via MRT Cubao -Araneta Center Station or LRT 2 Cubao Station. EDSA buses pass by the EDSA Aurora Boulevard where you need to walk to the place behind Shopwise. All jeepneys with signboard Cubao can also take you to the place.

Related Posts:

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

Labels: Buses, Public Transportation

This was an actual Manila tour of Tutubi he "planned" for his Muslim guests recently which took them from Makati to Quiapo, Intramuros, Luneta and capped with Manila Bay Cruise all in a span of ten hours with little planning and decisions made on-the-fly, typical of Tutubi's spur-of-the-moment traveling style. The itinerary is, however, much too compressed, covered so much ground and ideal for travelers with only one day to spare, feel free to tweak to suit your preferences or just ask Tutubi.

Note: Tutubi doesn't really prepare an travel itinerary as he likes the thrill of discoveries of unplanned travel brings. This was a Saturday which means generally lighter traffic in Metro Manila. Tutubi has a car that's why he's fast for he knows how to navigate the inner streets, where to pass by, mostly avoiding streets where jeepneys (one primary cause of traffic in Manila) don't pass. Take a taxi to exactly follow the route and for faster travel instead of the jeepney. The itinerary route is also possible via public transportation.

8am Met up at Makati Hotel (Berjaya Hotel, which serves halal buffet breakfast)

8:10 Had Breakfast and shopping at Salcedo Weekend Market in Salcedo Village, Makati. Tutubi bought his favorite budbud kabog, his guests looked for halal breakfast, settled for vegetarian samosa at a Persian/Indian restaurant plus all variants of budbud kabog and suman.

Salcedo Weekend Market in Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati offers regional and international food specialties and delicacies. Open every Saturday from 6am to 2pm

9:am Left for Quiapo, Manila. passed by Osmena Highway (formerly called South Superhighway), right Quirino Avenue, left Paz Guanzon (just before Nagtahan Bridge), right Romualdez, cross Ayala Bridge, left to Carlos Palanca (formerly Echague) then park near Quinta Market (you can find "informal" parking attendants to guard your car on the street, PhP30.00 usual parking fee). Walked to Golden Mosque (you can take padyak or kuliglig for about PhP40.00)

9:45 Arrived at Golden Mosque (Tutubi's first time to get inside the Quiapo landmark) on Globo de Oro Street corner Gunao.

The interiors of Golden Mosque with columns and the mihrab, the semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, facing the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and where Muslims should face when praying. The wall is called "qibla wall." The mosque is usually full during Jumuah prayers on a Friday

10:00 Had brunch at a nearby halal eatery to sample mostly Maranao dishes (mostly yellow in color) fish with spicy coconut sauce and palapa and bodhi (fish roe) fulshed down with Maranao coffee. The neighboring streets of Globo de Oro, Norzagaray, Bautista, Elizondo and Gunao surrounding the Golden Mosque are lined with restaurants serving halal food for the Muslims living and doing business in the area, mostly Maranao and Tausug. You can even find Muslim "wares and wear"e.g. abaya, hijab, malong.

10:30 Took a padyak (human-powered tricycle or pedicab, fare: PhP10.00/person) to Quiapo Church after finding out the Lacson Underpass was closed for repairs).

the well-loved Quiapo Church is the center of the Black Nazarene procession annually held on January 9 and attended by millions of barefoot devotees.

Quiapo is the window to the soul of Manila and probably the Philippines. It's here where you can find Christians and Muslims living together in harmony, doing about business and daily grind. It's home to a famous Quiapo Church which is full of people on Fridays and also the Golden Mosque, where Muslims stop what they're doing to pray also on a Friday. It's also an area of ironies, where else can you find a Catholic Church surrounded by fortune tellers (manghuhula) and little stalls on the sidewalks selling herbal medicines (e.g. pito-pito, a concoction of seven herbs), amulets, anting-anting, katana (samurai swords), kris (Muslim royalty swords), balisong (butterfly knife) and the infamous pamparegla (sold in dark brown "lapad" bottles) which is a euphemism for abortifacient (abortion is illegal in the Philippines). It's also where you can find true Manila: gritty, grimy and non-pretentious.

Other places to see and visit in Quiapo include San Sebastian Church (a short jeepney ride away, take jeepneys on Hidalgo Street with signboards Balic-balic or Lealtad), San Miguel area (take San Miguel jeepneys near Quinta Market or Ilalim ng Tulay), the eyeglasses and optometrist haunt Paterno Street, the generator and power tools street of Evangelista, the fake ID/diploma/thesis/term papers/reaction paper/ street of Recto University, the iconic art deco buildings of Far Eastern University (FEU, where art works of several nationa artists can be found inside the campus), the Nakpil-Bautista house on Bautista Street (former home of Katipunan lakambini Gregoria de Jesus, and where the original painting of Juan Luna "The Parisian Life" used to hang)

Quiapo food trip destinations include Globe Lumpia (since 1953) on Gonzalo Puyat (formerly Raon, a favorite haunt of Tutubi for electronics (he's actually an electronics engineer by profession)), Excellente Ham (opened 1963) and Kim Chong Tin Hopia Factory (1927) on Carlos Palanca (formerly Echague, where stores selling home and kitchen wares can be found), Master Hopia on Villalobos Street, various regional food peddled on Hidalgo Street (the photographer's haven lined with camera shops) besides the Muslim halal restaurants near Golden Mosque (suggestions: bodhi, chicken papar (piaparan), arab spice roasted chicken, kabsa (arabian rice), beef rendang (Maranao style of Indonesian provenance), beef balbacua, pater rice (Maranao style binalot), chili and ginger), bakas (smoked whole tuna) in sticks and the quintessential Maranao spice called palapa (ingredients of toasted coconut, shallots, sakoreb/sakurab (native scallions)

11:00am Went to Intramuros via a jeepney. At the behest of his guests who wanted to try riding the jeepney, Tutubi called up his driver to proceed directly to Manila Cathedral and wait for them there. Tutubi and guests boarded a jeepney with signboard Quiapo - Pier and alighted at the corner of Antonio Luna and Andres Soriano (formerly Calle Real del Palacio) then walked to Fort Santiago (Entrance Fee/Admission: PhP75.00)

Fort Santiago, a Spanish fort near the mouth of Pasig River where once stood the palace Rajah Sulaiman, the Muslim ruler of Manila until the arrival of the Spaniards. The fort also once served as prison of Jose Rizal (the Philippine national hero, his last steps were imprinted on the road leading to Luneta (now Rizal Park) where he was executed by firing squad. There's also a bulwark facing Pasig River and a replica of Rizal's house in Calamba, Laguna serving as a museum.

11:30 Went out of Fort Santiago, looked around at a souvenir shop just outside Fort Santiago then proceeded to Plaza Roma in front of Manila Cathedral to look for a cochero and Intramuros Calesa Tour (calesa is a horse-drawn carriage) at a price of PhP350.00 for thirty minutes.

The calesa tour passed by these Intramuros landmarks: Manila Cathedral, Bahay Tsinoy (Filipino Chinese Museum), Memorare (Monument to the massacre during the Battle for Manila at the closing stage of World War II), Beaterio, Casa Manila (an old bahay na bato and museum, there's an entrance fee but Tutubi and his guests just requested the guard to enter the patio and take pictures), an old Japanese cannon seen from the walls, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), the the budget-friendly carinderias/eateries on the walls along Muralla with student patrons, Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), Lyceum of the Philippines, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, the ruins of Interdencia then back to Manila Cathedral.

12:00 As it's lunch time, went to Shawarma Snack Center near Robinsons Place Malate on Salas Street. (Tutubi's guests were Muslims, that's why everything must be halal i.e. allowed to eat per the teachings of Islam). It's ironic that the restaurant ran out of shawarma, the only thing Tutubi wanted to eat there probably due to lunch time and he can't wait another 25 minutes for the next batch to be cooked, he ordered chicken tikka masala sandwich.

1:30pm Went to Rizal Park (Luneta) to see the Rizal Monument (near where Jose Rizal was shot and where his remains were buried permanently) and also the Kilometer Zero Marker (reference point of all kilometer markers all over the country). Also at Rizal Park is the Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, Lapu-lapu monument, Quirino Grandstand and near it are Manila Ocean Park (oceanarium and other activities and shows for families, especially children), Museong Pambata (Children's Museum, the US Embassy, and Manila Hotel, Philippine Normal University, LRT UN Avenue Station, Planetarium, National Museum and National Art Gallery.

2:30pm Went to Sun Cruises terminal in CCP Complex for the Manila Bay Cruise. Good thing there's still tables available as it's a reservation required. Booked the 4pm cruise. Visited and took pictures of the Coconut Palace (now the official residence of the Vice-President of the Philippines)

3:00pm Went to Harbor Square for some coffee and rest tired feet after the Manila sightseeing tour

4:00pm Boarded the Sun Cruises yacht for the Manila Bay Cruise

Manila Bay Cruise is operated by Sun Cruises, the operator of Corregidor Island Tours, cruise time is around one hour which involves going south all the way to SM Mall of Asia then back. You need to book in advance for your seats unless you're lucky like Tutubi who was able to buy tickets walk-in. Recommend the 5pm cruise time slot for the sunset or the later 6pm slot during Saturday to see the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) fireworks.

5:15pm Back at CCP Complex

6:00pm Arrived in Makati



Costs and Other details of Manila Sightseeing Tour and Food Trip:

Taxi fare from Makati to Quiapo is around PhP200.00
Golden Mosque entrance fee: none (visitors are requested to make donations)
Kuliglig ride to Golden Mosque: PhP40.00
Parking fee Quiapo: PhP30.00
Jeepney fare Quiapo to Intramuros: PhP8.00 (minimum fare, via jeepneys with signboard Pier)
Fort Santiago entrance fee: PhP75.00
Manila Bay Cruise: PhP550.00 with buffet lunch, PhP350.00 cruise only
Jeepney fare Intramuros to Rizal Park: PhP8.00 (via Quiapo jeepney)

How to Get to CCP Complex from Quiapo or Rizal Park? Just take a jeepney with signboard Vito Cruz (preferably via Taft Avenue), alight at Vito Cruz and take the orange shuttle jeepneys plying the CCP COmplex Route.

Related Posts:
How to Get to Quiapo
The Plant Where Quiapo Got Its Name
How to Get to Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila

Labels: Churches, Food Trips, Makati, Manila, Metro Manila, Mosques, Pasay City

Magalawa Island, an island lined with white sand beach can be found in Palauig, Zambales. It's mostly divided into three parts, the first is settled by a small community of fishermen, the second is owned by a politician who owns Ruiz Resort and the third is by the Armada family who owns Armada Resort Magalawa Island (who claims to own the whole island which is disputed in court against the owners of Ruiz Resort).

the white sand beach of Magalawa Island Armada Resort

Magalawa Island Resort Entrance Fee/Daytour rate:

PhP700.00/head, free for children/babies, inclusive of parking fee, round-trip boat transfers, lunch, and use of resort facilities (including rooms if available) from 8am to 5pm
Overnight accommodations are available, latest rates posted on their official website. Snorkeling is included in the Magalawa Island itinerary and rates, including free use of snorkels, masks and even underwater pictures by the boatmen.

How to Get to Magalawa Island:

Online map of Magalawa Island can be found here via OpenStreetMap. You can use Garmin GPS Navigators or iOS and Android apps (e.g. OSMAnd) to easily find the place.

How to Commute to Magalawa Island (Public transportation, the backpacking way):

1. Take a Victory Liner bus bound to Sta. Cruz, Zambales at Victory Liner Caloocan just near LRT Monumento station. Bus Fare is around PhP650.00
2. Request the bus driver to drop you off in Barangay Pangolingan, Palauig Zambales (near Radio Veritas Road), expect total travel time of around six hours where you will pass by
San Fernando, Bacolor, Guagua, Lubao in Pampanga, Dinalupihan (Bataan), Olongapo City, and the Zambales towns of Subic, San Marcelino, San Antonio, San Narciso, San Felipe, Cabangan, Botolan, Iba (the capital of Zambales), Palauig town proper.
3. Take a tricycle to take you to Armada Fish dealer compound in Brgy. Luan where you can find a small pier (Fare is PhP150.00/trip, negotiable)
4. Ride the boat to Magalawa Island (this is included in the package of PhP700.00/person day tour rate). Boat ride is around 10-15 minutes

Driving Directions to Magalawa Island:

1. Follow one of these two routes:
1.1 NLEX -SCTEX - Tipo Exit to reach Olongapo City or Subic Bay Freeport
1.2 NLEX - left San Fernando Exit and follow Jose Abad Santos Avenue to pass by Bacolor, Guagua, Lubao (where Double Happiness Restaurant is, the stop-over of Victory Liner buses), Dinalupihan (turn right here, if you missed this you'll find yourself on Bataan Provincial Highway going to Balanga), pass by Olongapo city proper (Rizal Avenue) then turn right when you see the Ulo ng Apo monument, a rotonda (roundabout, with landmarks Victory Liner Olongapo and Jollibee)

2. After Olongapo City, you'll pass by town of Subic, Zambales, San Marcelino (the hometown of Ramon Magsaysay and where you can find vendors selling singkamas), San Narciso (you won't pass by San Antonio, where you can find Pundaquit, the gateway to Camara Island, Capones Island, Capones Lighthouse, Anawangin Cove and Nagsasa Cove) San Felipe, Cabangan, Botolan, Iba (the capital of Zambales), and Palauig.

3. After passing by the intersection of the highway and the road leading to Palauig town proper, you will pass by a zigzag road (twisties) then turn left to a corner. This road (mostly rough road) leads to the jump off point to Magalawa Island. Travel time here is around thirty minutes.

4. Enter the Armada Resort compound and park there, board the boat to Magalawa Island.

Enjoy!

Other notable islands in Zambales with white sand beaches:
Capones Island in San Antonio
Potipot Island in Candelaria
Hermana Mayor Island in Sta. Cruz
Hermana Menor Island in Sta. Cruz
Balaki Island in Infanta
San Salvador Island in San Salvador
Matalvis Island in Masinloc
Agat Island
Pilapir Island

lots of islands indeed to explore in Zambales!

Labels: Beaches, Central Luzon, Islands, Travel Guides, Zambales

On February 23, 1945, American forces aided by Filipino guerillas conducted one of the most successful rescue operations in modern military history, almost a month after the successful rescue at the POW internment camp in Cabanatuan (later dubbed Raid at Cabanatuan and made into a Hollywood movie "the Great Raid").

Following the American forces landing on Leyte Gulf to begin the liberation of the Philippines, the Japanese Imperial Army massacred Prisoners-of-War internees including those at Plaza Cuartel in Palawan.

Gen. MacArthur was worried that other POWs would suffer the same fate that he devised plans to rescue thousands of them interned at various concentration camps including those in Cabanatuan, University of Sto. Tomas and in UP College of Agriculture in Los Banos, Laguna (now the University of the Philippines Los Baños or UPLB).

It was at Baker Hall, now UPLB gymnasium and named after Charles Fuller Baker, the former Dean of Agriculture of UP which housed more than two thousand prisoners.

the historic Baker Hall, now a gymanasium where events and parties are held, also has ghost stories told by students and teachers alike

If the Great Raid at Cabanatuan was executed by crawling soldiers under the cover of darkness and a P61 Black Widow as decoy, the raid at Los Banos was executed with the help or paratroopers as the POW camp is located on the hills of Mt. Makiling with reinforcements also from Laguna de Bay.

If the Raid at Cabanatuan was made into a Hollywood movie titled "The Great Raid," the raid at Los Banos was also turned into a movie in 2004 called "Rescue at Dawn: the Los Banos Raid"

A little girl plays football on Baker Field, a football field lined with huge trees with the chapel and carillon bell tower in view

After a few days, Japanese forces arrived at the camp and found it empty of prisoners. With the help of MAKAPILI (Makabayang Katipunan ng mga Pilipino), they rounded up and massacred about 1500 men, women and children (including people who sought refuge in a chapel) and burned their homes.

The people of Los Banos felt betrayed when the Americans left them behind to feel the wrath of the Japanese but soon learned to forgive them years later.

Labels: Calabarzon, History, Laguna, Southern Tagalog, World War II

The Golden Mosque is a landmark in Quiapo, Manila with its iconic gold dome, thus the name Golden Mosque. It was built in 1976 upon orders of then First Lady Imelda Marcos, in preparation for the visit of Libya's President Muammar al-Gaddafi (that was cancelled).

This is the first time Tutubi was able to set foot inside the famous mosque, the largest mosque in Metro Manila. He has only seen it from the outside (even from the Pasig River where the golden dome can be seen).

picture of the entrance gate of Golden Mosque taken from inside the compound

Muslim prayer (salaat) times posted on the wall of the mosque

The mosque interiors with columns and the mihrab, the semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, facing the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and where Muslims should face when praying. The wall is called "qibla wall." The mosque is usually full during Jumuah prayers on a Friday

Street scene outside Golden Mosque is a typical Manila sight


Golden Mosque details:
Address: Globo de Oro St., Quiapo, Manila
Telephone Number: no information on contact number and email address for other inquiries
Entrance Fee: none. you can donate any amount before exiting though an envelope handed out by guards at the gate. You should wear appropriate dress for men and women and also take off your shoes before entering the mosque.

How to Get there:

a map of Golden Mosque can be found here via OpenStreetMap

From LRT Carriedo Station, you can just walk passing by Carriedo, Hidalgo, Plaza Miranda (Quiapo Church), Quezon Boulevard, Quinta Market then Globo de Oro Street.

You can also get there via jeepneys going to Quiapo, alight on Quezon Blvd then walk to the mosque (you can also ride tricycles, padyak or kuliglig to get there)

If you have a car, you can park near Quinta Market where parking attendants (street parking) may charge you PhP20.00 up to PhP30.00 so that you have someone watch over your car while you're away.

Around the Golden Mosques are numerous restaurants serving halal food for the Muslim community including Tausug and Maranao cuisine e.g Moud's chicken halal (arab spice chicken), Junairah Halal Center (Maranao: pater/pastil rice, palapa, fish eggs (bodi), balbacua (bulalo flavored with turmeric)). This is a different post on its own as most people go there to buy DVDs but you can also find bargain Muslim wares from Mindanao.

Related Posts for Muslims:
Mosques in Manila
Halal Food in Tagaytay
Halal Food in Manila

Labels: Islam, Manila, Metro Manila, Mosques, National Capital Region