Ria Jose in Dahican Beach, Mati Anybody who knows me well enough knows I am not a "beach person." When the opportunity to learn how to surf presented itself, I was a bit hesitant but I accepted the challenge because... I don't actually remember why. I'm glad I accepted it because look... Dahican, Mati, Davao Oriental When we arrived in Dahican, it was already dark and our first concern was eating. Then, sleeping. We checked in to Kanakbai Resort. They 2 villas, each with 2 rooms which can comfortably fit 2 - 6 persons. Each villa has a kitchen and a common living room. In the morning, we had a hearty breakfast and set out to learn how to surf. We dropped by one spot but the waves weren't strong enough for surfing. Dahican has a very nice shoreline. It's blue, pristine, and serene. They have spots for swimming and spots for surfing. It's the learning haven for surfers. I love how the beach goes on and on and the resorts aren't too close to the shoreline. After starting to fall in love with the beach of Dahican came the fear of surfing. DUN! DUN! DUN! DUUUUUUN! Scared... After enjoying…
The #GlobeAmplified Racing Experience
On March 23, 2012, Globe Telecom launched their $700 million system transformation in Davao City. This translates to better mobile services along with a better customer service experience. The entire system transformation is is anchored on the tagline "A Bigger Globe for a Bigger YOU!" And the first roll-out for this new system is in... DAVAO CITY! In order to test the system, 21 bloggers and members of local and national media organizations were chosen to participate in a race around Davao City. Together with the Department of Tourism and AirPhil Express, Globe Telecom showcased their amplified services in a unique adventure around Davao City. I was chosen and grouped together with Alex Villafania of loqal.ph and Giovanni Flaviano of the People's Forum. We were Team GCash Remit Purple and I was the team's designated navigator. As navigator, I had to perform tasks and challenges separate from my team. Upon completion of my task, I'd inform my teammates where their next task is. Armed with an iPhone 4S and the Globe network, I raced around Davao City along with other navigators. I had to run through Aldevinco Shopping Center to find a labeled scarf, take pictures at San Pedro Cathedral,…
Dreaming of Paris
It is, perhaps, the dream of every hopeless romantic to go to France and fall hopelessly in love with a stranger. Me, however, I dream of going to Paris to drink wine, eat Boeuf Bourguinon, and gorge on petit four. Paris is such a far off land, which I only get to watch on films and television shows. I hear about it in songs and read about it in novels, poems, and articles. For a lot of people, it is the place where art takes flight, where fashion takes center stage, and where people so carelessly demonstrate their passion... be it for food, the arts, or their special someone. It is a place where dreamers dream to go so that their dreams can turn into reality. I was recently bitten by the travel bug and Paris, France is definitely now on my list of places to visit. (Along with the rest of the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Japan, Greece, and Italy.) I want to find place to rent in Paris and just take in all the culture, arts, and food it has to offer. As in most European cities, there are a lot of apartment rentals in Paris France and I…
Davao Bloggers Night Walk
To celebrate the 75th Araw ng Dabaw, Davao Bloggers went out of their comfy cocoons to walk the streets of Davao and enjoy some of the simple delights that the city has to offer. Check this out... We walked around and took photos of the San Pedro Street area. We ate tonsss of street food. I loved the fresh buko (coconut) juice and the kwek kwek with unlimited fresh seaweed and cucumber salad. Then, we took a ride aboard an electric tricycle to go to our final destination for the night: the Hudyakaan Beer Festival. This is where we had our fill of chicken barbeque, pork barbeque, sisig, and rice washed down by glasses of ice cold soda. It was a fun, tummy-filling night of bonding and eating. I'm definitely looking forward to another bonding walk with the interesting guys and girls of Davao Bloggers.
Ultra Vires Unmasked
JCI Makati Princess Urduja and Victoria in Lege celebrated International Women's Month with a fashion show to raise awareness on the fight against Violence Women and Children or VAWC. Entitled Ultra Vires Unmasked, the event celebrated beauty, glam, and feminine power. The beautiful ladies of JCI Makati Princess Urduja modelled clothes and styles by TOPS, TYLER, John Rufo, and the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP). Aika Chua and her team from Make Up Forever made the Urduja ladies even more beautiful as they shashayed on the ramp. Plinky Recto, a staunch advocate against domestic abuse was present to the event as she is an advocate of anti-VAWC. Monica Hipolito of JCI Makati Princess Urduja and Atty. Andre De Jesus of JCI Makati hosted the event while DJ Ojie Mamuric of JCI Manila livened up the party with his beats. Event sponsor, Mrs. Melissa Racela of Phosphor Watches, gave away 2 watches. Proceeds from the event will benefit the I AM A SURVIVOR Program, a rehabilitation and empowerment efforts of JCI Makati Princess Urduja and Victoria in Lege that focuses on projects in the field of women empowerment. Make Up Forever, Maquillage Professionnel, and Jobs Central Asia were…
Why I Love Iloilo
Everybody knows I'm fiercely in love with Davao but if there's one place I'd consider relocating to, it would be Iloilo. Iloilo is a small city with a whole lot to offer. Historical and Cultural Tours I love that Iloilo has a lot of nice architecture and historical places from our colonial past. The photowalk I did with friends was very interesting. We took a walk around downtown for several hours. We had a friend, who's a history nut, do the tour with us and he shared some very interesting anecdotes. We ended up in Fort San Pedro to watch the sunset over Guimaras. Such a beautiful site. And a great place to have your photos taken. Recently, I was able to visit and take a tour of the Camiño Balai nga Bato in Villa de Arevalo. It is a well-preserved house from the colonial times. The Camiños was one of the pioneers in the Iloilo weaving industry. And the entire ground floor used to be dedicated to weavers and weaving looms. Most of it still is now. The modern weavers create various sinamay and other cloths that would make for great Filipiniana wear. The Camiños still live in the…