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MAGAZINE FOR CEBU PACIFIC<br />
DECEMBER <strong>2011</strong><br />
MANILA SKY<br />
The city sparkles with<br />
festive lights<br />
(page 106)<br />
Countdown<br />
to Christmas<br />
7 Chefs reinvent the meal<br />
6 Routes to your roots<br />
5 Places to chill<br />
All-new sensational Cebu<br />
The rise of the southern city<br />
Discover<br />
Dumaguete’s<br />
art & soul<br />
(page 158)<br />
Singapore<br />
on a<br />
shoestring
62 Mix and<br />
match<br />
Still looking for the perfect presents<br />
for your loved ones? Show family and<br />
friends how well you know them with<br />
customized packs of great travel stuff.<br />
68 The new<br />
Noche Buena<br />
The perfect recipe for livening up this<br />
year’s Noche Buena feast: mix portions<br />
of tradition with a dash of inventiveness<br />
and a whole lot of love and imagination.<br />
Seven Pinoy chefs reveal how.<br />
Love your<br />
own<br />
From massage to martial<br />
87<br />
arts, musical instruments to Mangyan script,<br />
homegrown has never been so hip. Learn<br />
more of the local ways that make Pinoy<br />
heritage rock.<br />
contents<br />
Know where everything’s at in December<br />
94 Cool getaways<br />
We’ve mapped out fi ve hilltop chillout<br />
spots — in Mindanao, Malaysia,<br />
Taiwan, Japan and Indonesia — where<br />
you can make the most of December’s<br />
cool weather.<br />
106<br />
Manila when<br />
it sparkles<br />
Watch Metro Manila come alive<br />
during the festive season at any<br />
of these holiday highlights.<br />
114<br />
Bright lights,<br />
big city<br />
Often called The Queen City of the South,<br />
Cebu City puts on its game face to greet<br />
the world as one of the Philippines’ premier<br />
cosmopolitan destinations.<br />
{ 1 }<br />
Kudos to the chefs!<br />
Dine with the whole<br />
family at Abaseria in Cebu<br />
Super-saver deals in<br />
Singapore!<br />
126<br />
Slow &<br />
steady<br />
in the city<br />
Now that the fl oods are being managed, it’s<br />
time to plan for a soulful, sightseeing city tour<br />
of Bangkok along its famed river.<br />
136 Pomp &<br />
circumstance<br />
Behind Seoul’s grand Gyeongbokgung palace<br />
is a riveting story that spans six centuries<br />
of pomp and pageantry, destruction and<br />
restoration, tragedy and ultimate triumph.<br />
148 Savor<br />
Singapore<br />
See the sights, indulge in the wide<br />
variety of eats, take home some cheap<br />
treats, and feel the city vibe on a<br />
shoestring budget. Let an in-the-know<br />
local be your guide.<br />
158 The creative<br />
zone<br />
More and more artists and intellectuals<br />
are setting up house in Dumaguete, the<br />
quintessential tropical university town.<br />
168 Trees of life<br />
Now this is foresight — a team of environmental<br />
advocates are on a mission to rebuild forests one<br />
tree at a time.<br />
177 Trip journal<br />
Your city guides to Cebu Pacifi c’s<br />
destinations, with great advice from locals<br />
218 Route map<br />
Check out Cebu Pacifi c’s growing network!<br />
220 Airline news<br />
The latest buzz from your favorite airline<br />
222-224 Onboard<br />
delights<br />
Sweet and savory bites, plus loads of infl ight<br />
merchandise and duty-free items to buy
LICENSE TO SELL ENCRFO-11-08-022
Adventure. Romance. Indulgence. Delight. Inspiration.<br />
Whatever you want in life, Eastwood City has it all.<br />
And whatever the season, there’s always something to celebrate.<br />
In your City, amp up your adrenaline with a vibrant leisure culture.<br />
Get even closer to the one you love. Feel pampered any time of the day.<br />
Dine around the world without leaving the metro. Or enjoy the high<br />
of being at the top of your game. And just when life can’t seem to get any better,<br />
go home to the newest and most exciting residence at Eastwood City,<br />
One Eastwood Avenue—and discover a whole new world of pleasure.<br />
Have everything you love to live for in a place that keeps on sparkling.<br />
And keeps on surprising. Eastwood City.<br />
Be fi rst in every way, everyday, in the City for all seasons. Learn more about what’s<br />
in store for you at One Eastwood Avenue, Eastwood City’s newest residential off ering.<br />
Visit the Grand Showroom across from the Eastwood Mall. Eastwood City is located<br />
along E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. (C-5), Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.<br />
Tels: (632) 421-4243 • 421-4247<br />
www.eastwood-properties.com<br />
UNITS FOR AS LOW AS P10,000 A MONTH.<br />
Developer:<br />
www.megaworldcorp.com<br />
ISO 9001:2000 CERTIFIED
PHOTO CAROLINE SCHMIDT AND NICOLAI SVANE/DANISHCONNECTION.COM GROOMING & STYLING MARIE CALICA<br />
INK EDITORIAL<br />
Editor Tara FT Sering<br />
Art Director Adi Effendy<br />
Sub-Editor Charmaine Baylon<br />
Contributing Editors Maya O Calica (Chikka<br />
section) and Nikka Sarthou (Domestic Trip Journal)<br />
Editorial Director (Singapore) Liz Weselby<br />
Design Director (Asia) Peter Stephens<br />
Associate Design Director (Singapore)<br />
Terence Goh<br />
Photo Editor Lester V Ledesma<br />
Production Manager Helen Uy Punzalan<br />
Design Intern Sri Nur Shazreen<br />
Executive Creative Director Michael Keating<br />
CEO Jeffrey O’Rourke<br />
Managing Director Gerry Ricketts<br />
Chief Operating Offi cer Hugh Godsal<br />
Group Publisher Simon Leslie<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
Group Publisher Mohan Gopal<br />
Brand Managers Bong Dy-Liacco, Andrew Lugtu,<br />
Jil Sembrano-North and Kriztel Lorbes<br />
Tel +65 6324 2386<br />
Email smile@ink-global.com<br />
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS<br />
Tel +65 6324 2386<br />
Email smile@ink-global.com<br />
Smile Online Copy<br />
www.ink-live.com/emagazines/smile<br />
Smile Facebook<br />
Find us at: Smile Cebu Pacifi c Airlines<br />
Email us at: Smilefb@ink-global.com<br />
SMILE magazine is published on behalf of Cebu<br />
Pacifi c Air by Ink Publishing Pte Ltd • 89 Neil<br />
Road, #03-01, Singapore 088849 • tel +65<br />
6324 2386 • fax +65 6491 5261 •<br />
www.ink-global.com • www.cebusmile.com<br />
MICA (P) 170/06/<strong>2011</strong><br />
All articles and<br />
photographs published<br />
herein are created by<br />
the authors and photographers at their own<br />
discretion and do not necessarily represent<br />
the views of the airline. All material is strictly<br />
copyrighted and all rights are reserved. No part<br />
of this publication may be reproduced in whole<br />
or in part without the prior written permission<br />
of the copyright holder. All prices and data are<br />
correct at the time of publication.<br />
MAGAZINE FOR CEBU PACIFIC<br />
DECEMBER <strong>2011</strong><br />
MANILA SKY<br />
The city sparkles with<br />
festive lights<br />
(page 106)<br />
Countdown<br />
to Christmas<br />
7 Chefs reinvent the meal<br />
6 Routes to your roots<br />
5 Places to chill<br />
All-new sensational Cebu<br />
The rise of the southern city<br />
Discover<br />
Dumaguete’s<br />
art & soul<br />
(page 158)<br />
Singapore<br />
on a<br />
shoestring<br />
THIS MONTH ‚ S COVER<br />
Photographer Caroline Schmidt and Nicolai Svane/<br />
danishconnection.com. Art director Adi Effendy. Photo<br />
editor Lester V Ledesma. Hair and makeup Marie Calica.<br />
Stylist Donna Cuna-Pita. Models Darleen Hopkirk<br />
and Adam Santiago. On her: dress from The Ramp at<br />
Crossings Department Store, Shangri-La Plaza Mall,<br />
Mandaluyong City. On him: model's own.<br />
welcome onboard<br />
Priceless presents<br />
More often than not, the best gifts are those you can’t pack in a<br />
box and tie up neatly with a ribbon. They’re the ones you carry around with<br />
you at all times and enrich you as a person — like a grandmother’s recipe,<br />
perhaps, which brings back heart-warming childhood memories, or a new<br />
experience you’re sure to remember fondly and share as stories in the years<br />
to come, wherever you may be.<br />
This Christmas season, we humbly present you with our thickest Smile<br />
issue ever, packed with stories that bring back old memories and inspire us to<br />
make new and exciting ones. In The new Noche Buena (page 68),<br />
Manila’s fi nest young chefs put a new spin on the old classics of the Filipino<br />
Christmas table. For something new to try over the holidays, we urge you to<br />
Love your own (page 87) and reconnect with our Pinoy roots. In Trees<br />
of life (page 168), a reforestation effort shows us how to give the gift of life<br />
and plant the seeds for a better future. We're also giving you great travel<br />
ideas across our network (Dumaguete, Bangkok, Seoul and<br />
Singapore) and putting the spotlight on Cebu (page 114) — discover the<br />
city’s bright new sheen as a cosmopolitan destination that keeps in step with<br />
the rest of the world.<br />
May you and your kin have a blessed Christmas and a bright New Year<br />
ahead!<br />
{ 7 }<br />
Lance Gokongwei<br />
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
chikka<br />
The latest buzz on lifestyle, travel and celebrity news<br />
page 14<br />
An animated scene from A Moving<br />
Masterpiece in Singapore<br />
The best of times<br />
It , s official: the year is closing and we , re doing it with a bang. All<br />
across the Cebu Pacific network are places to visit, things to try,<br />
shows to see, and people to meet. But no matter how busy you get<br />
this Christmas, don , t forget to give yourself the best reward: time to<br />
pause, take stock, and prepare for another new year.<br />
Would love to<br />
hear from you!<br />
Write me at<br />
cebusmile@<br />
ink-global.com!<br />
Wishing you a soulful Christmas and a new year<br />
of travel, adventure<br />
and excitement. The<br />
best of times are truly<br />
yet to come.<br />
For the latest updates, check out our Facebook fan page (Smile Cebu Pacific Airlines).<br />
{ 13 }<br />
Our Chikka Click<br />
page just got more<br />
exciting! If your<br />
snapshot gets chosen for<br />
publication, you get both<br />
pride and prize — as next<br />
month , s My Snapshot<br />
winner gets to keep this<br />
snazzy pair of Rudy Project<br />
Jazz eyewear. Send your<br />
entries to mysnapshot@<br />
cebusmile.com now!<br />
The Smile team at the Radisson Blu’s Santa Maria<br />
ballroom. Standing from left to right: Treena<br />
(Director of Marketing & Communications, Radisson<br />
Blu Cebu); Donna (stylist); Nicolai and Caroline<br />
(photographers); Darleen and Adam (models); Lester<br />
(photo editor); and Adi (art director). Kneeling: Marie<br />
(makeup artist) and me.
KUALA LUMPUR<br />
Sungha Jung Live in<br />
Kuala Lumpur<br />
December 4<br />
Catch the 15-year-old South Korean ukelele<br />
and acoustic guitarist as he performs<br />
a mix of pop, rock and new age tracks<br />
from his fi rst album, Perfect Blue. Not<br />
familiar with Sungha? The self-taught<br />
musician — whose cover of the Pirates of<br />
the Caribbean theme song garnered more<br />
than 22 million views on Youtube — honed<br />
his talent by watching video clips on the<br />
Internet. He played so well that his father<br />
posted his fi rst video on the site. The rest,<br />
as they say, is history. Sungha Jung Live<br />
in Kuala Lumpur is supported by Lakewood<br />
Guitar, Anuenue Ukulele, AER Amp and<br />
UCSI University. Tickets from MYR83<br />
(PHP1,155); visit www.ticketpro.com.my<br />
and www.theguitarstore.com.my<br />
OSAKA<br />
Orange picking season<br />
Until December 15<br />
At 30 acres, the Nanrakuen agricultural<br />
park has many seasonal fl owers and fruits<br />
— like the juicy mandarin orange, which<br />
has become popular with fruit lovers and<br />
visitors since the park won the Agriculture,<br />
Forestry and Fisheries Minister’s Prize. So<br />
take advantage of the last few remaining<br />
days of their orange-picking program, on top<br />
of other attractions like fi shing, fi eld athletics<br />
and barbecuing. www.osaka-info.jp/en/<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
Standard Chartered Marathon <strong>2011</strong><br />
December 4<br />
Raring to do the 5K, 10K or 21K, or just feel like<br />
cheering for the runners? Head down to the Padang for the<br />
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) <strong>2011</strong>. There will be<br />
entertainment and live performances, games at the Kids’ Zone for the<br />
little ones, and various contests where you can stand to win attractive<br />
prizes. Meanwhile, loved ones can root for their friends and family at<br />
cheering stations along the race routes! www.marathonsingapore.com<br />
Ho-hoholiday…<br />
celebrate!<br />
Comedy acts, classic performances and rock concerts<br />
give you lots of good reasons to smile<br />
{ 14 }<br />
JAKARTA<br />
Pitbull Live in Concert C<br />
December 6<br />
With the release release of<br />
Planet Pit, his sixth<br />
full-length album, alb American rapper<br />
Pitbull’s return re to Southeast Asia<br />
is quite quit timely. After kicking<br />
things thing off with concerts<br />
in the t Philippines and<br />
Malaysia Ma in November,<br />
he is set to rock Jakarta’s<br />
Tennis T Indoor Senayan<br />
this month. Join the<br />
party — you can be<br />
sure Pitbull will give<br />
his everything to<br />
please you that night!<br />
For tickets, contact the<br />
Trilogy T Live Hotline at<br />
+62 + (21) 720 8642.
GETTY IMAGES<br />
chikka calendar<br />
Aerosmith<br />
wouldn’t want you<br />
to miss a thing<br />
OSAKA<br />
Aerosmith in Concert<br />
December 6<br />
They’ve sold over 150 million albums in<br />
over 30 years. But Aerosmith — one of<br />
America’s greatest rock bands — shows<br />
no signs of slowing down. So what<br />
makes this tour of Japan extra special?<br />
Well, it’s the group’s fi rst visit to the<br />
country in seven years. So be sure to<br />
catch 63-year-old rocker Steven Tyler<br />
(whose career got a boost on American<br />
Idol) and the rest of the members at the<br />
Osaka Dome. www.aeroforceone.com<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
SINGAPO<br />
The Nutcr Nutcracker<br />
December Dece 8–11<br />
The Singapore S Dance<br />
Theatre Thea presents a classic<br />
Christmas Chris tale with a<br />
twist: The The Nutcracker, Nutcracker, which they’ve set<br />
in turn-of-the-century, colonial Shanghai<br />
against Tchaikovsky’s brilliant music.<br />
The story revolves around Clara, who<br />
receives a beautiful nutcracker doll from<br />
her toymaker uncle, Dr Drosselmeyer. At<br />
the stroke of midnight, the nutcracker doll<br />
comes alive to her rescue when her room<br />
is invaded by the Rat King. The valiant doll<br />
defeats the Rat King, and transforms into<br />
a handsome Prince. Clara then goes on a<br />
magical journey through the Land of Snow<br />
and the Kingdom of Sweets, where she is<br />
enchanted by sights of Spain, France and<br />
China, and is later met by the Snow Queen<br />
and Sugar Plum Fairy. www.sistic.com.sg<br />
{ 15 }<br />
don’t<br />
miss!<br />
MANILA<br />
The Sleeping<br />
Beauty<br />
December 2–11<br />
To mark its 42nd season,<br />
Ballet Philippines is staging<br />
this popular classical ballet —<br />
known for its lovely waltzes,<br />
lilting music by Tchaikovsky, and<br />
choreography by Marius Petipa —<br />
at the CCP. It stars principal dancers<br />
Katherine Trofeo and Candice Adea.<br />
www.ticketworld.com.ph<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
A Moving Masterpiece:<br />
The Song Dynasty As<br />
Living Art<br />
December 7<br />
The exhibit includes the animated<br />
reproduction of the Qing Ming<br />
Shang He Tu, a hit at the Shanghai<br />
World Expo last year, and a 128 x<br />
6.5m digital painting with talking<br />
characters. At 10,000m², it is<br />
Singapore’s largest art show ever.<br />
www.amovingmasterpiece.com<br />
SHANGHAI<br />
Yundi Plays Beethoven<br />
December 18<br />
Famous Chinese pianist Yundi<br />
Li and the Shanghai Symphony<br />
Orchestra will regale you with works<br />
by classical composers Beethoven,<br />
Wagner and Strauss. The 29-yearold<br />
instrumentalist has been dubbed<br />
the “Prince of the Piano” by his fans<br />
in China; the orchestra is the oldest<br />
of its kind in Asia. Shanghai Oriental<br />
Art Center, www.classictic.com/en<br />
MANILA<br />
Jon to the World<br />
December 5–6<br />
He’s known for his impersonations<br />
of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo<br />
(“Tita Gloring”), Joseph Estrada<br />
(“Sherrap Estrada”) and Ate Vi<br />
(“Vilma Santos”). This month,<br />
comic Jon Santos does his hilarious<br />
impressions of “Shamcee,” “Charice<br />
Penpendesarapen-pengco,” Paris<br />
Hilton and Oprah at the Newport<br />
Performing Arts Theater, Resorts<br />
World Manila. www.viva.com.ph
chikka click<br />
my<br />
snapshot<br />
Smile reader Charlotte Jennifer Calonge captures<br />
one of nature’s wonders in Surigao<br />
I was strolling down Surigao City’s Boulevard<br />
one afternoon to see how a typical day at the<br />
seafront goes. There was a brief shower and<br />
then a rainbow slowly appeared through the<br />
mist. Seeing a rainbow after the rain<br />
is quite a reward in itself.<br />
{ 16 }<br />
Snap and win!<br />
Send us your snapshot<br />
with your story at<br />
mysnapshot@cebusmile.<br />
com and get a chance to<br />
win a prize. See our<br />
Chikka Opener<br />
for details.
Urban by Nature<br />
Sofi tel So Bangkok, a newly-opened design hotel, has collaborated<br />
with sister property Sofi tel So Mauritius to produce a double music<br />
CD that launches the two addresses via music styling and the theme<br />
“When Mauritius meets Bangkok”. DJ Ravin of Paris’s Buddha Bar<br />
combines chill lounge tracks for a resort feel, with upbeat sounds that<br />
typify an urban lifestyle. Available on iTunes and Amazon.com<br />
DECK THE HALLS…<br />
Decorating with Flowers<br />
by Roberto Caballero and<br />
Elizabeth V Reyes<br />
With the festive season in full swing, this hardbound book<br />
of stunning fl ower arrangements will inspire you to create<br />
dazzling table settings and installations for your holiday<br />
parties — or any occasion, for that matter. Ten designers<br />
and artists showcase their ideas and insights behind their<br />
fl oral creations, all depicted in detailed photos by Luca<br />
Invernizzi Tettoni. It’s an excellent reference for interior<br />
decorators, fl orists, event planners and homeowners<br />
looking to spruce up living spaces. US$44.95 (PHP1,914)<br />
at all leading bookstores.<br />
chikka reviews<br />
Mood groove<br />
A hotel and a restaurant churn out their own OSTs<br />
SEVVA Sounds Volume I<br />
Lifestyle diva Bonnie Gokson produced this collection of sophisticated tracks for her fashionable<br />
penthouse restaurant SEVVA in Central, Hong Kong. On the debut album’s hit list are artists<br />
Toco, Pamela Joy, Tony Desare, Vince Jones, Chris Botti and Aaron Neville, to name a few,<br />
and songs that range from classic jazz, pop jazz and funk to West Coast jazz and bossa nova.<br />
HK$168 (PHP922), available at SEVVA and the restaurant’s website, www.sevva.hk<br />
{ 18 }<br />
Book reviews<br />
A Daughter<br />
Remembers<br />
by Li Lien-fung<br />
In this powerful memoir, Shanghaiborn<br />
author Li Lien-fung comes to<br />
terms with her parents’ separation.<br />
Originally written in Chinese and<br />
translated into English by the author,<br />
it is a masterful attempt to piece<br />
together the fragments of their lives.<br />
S$18.50/PHP634 (excl GST), www.<br />
marshallcavendish.com<br />
Between Loss and<br />
Forever: Filipino<br />
Mothers on the<br />
Grief Journey<br />
by Cathy Babao-<br />
Guballa<br />
Journalist, grief educator and coach<br />
Cathy Babao-Guballa’s fi rst book is<br />
a transcendent and transformative<br />
volume that explores a mother’s pain<br />
from the death of a child, through 18<br />
narratives by women who lost their<br />
offspring to disease, accidental and<br />
violent deaths, and suicide. PHP395,<br />
National Bookstore and Powerbooks,<br />
www.anvilpublishing.com<br />
TEXT MAYA O CALICA
Design in<br />
the details<br />
Here’s why Hotel ICON —<br />
Tsim Sha Tsui’s hottest new<br />
hotel — is a sight for sore eyes<br />
THE BRAND NEW Hotel ICON in Hong<br />
Kong may have just opened its doors in late<br />
September, but it’s already caused quite a stir<br />
in international design circles. The renowned<br />
design and lifestyle magazine, wallpaper*,<br />
included Hotel ICON in its <strong>2011</strong> list of the<br />
world’s Best Business Hotels. “Hotel ICON<br />
is a collaborative project featuring work from<br />
award-winning artists, creative visionaries<br />
and respected designers,” explains General<br />
Manager Richard Hatter. The experts at<br />
“Boutique & Lifestyle Hotels: Creating a Brand<br />
Icon through Design” — a design conference<br />
held during the hotel’s opening — include<br />
French botanist and landscape artist Patrick<br />
Blanc, who produced the striking vertical<br />
garden at the hotel lobby; Hong Kong fashion<br />
designer Barney Cheng, who created the<br />
staff uniforms; Conran & Partners’ Managing<br />
Director Richard Doone, whose fi rm oversaw<br />
the hotel’s F&B outlets, The Market and Above<br />
& Beyond Chinese Restaurant; graphic artist<br />
chikka buzz<br />
Clockwise from top: The glass<br />
façade on level 9, with a view of<br />
the pool; Patrick Blanc’s vertical<br />
garden; breathtaking top view of<br />
Hotel ICON’s winding staircase.<br />
Tommy Li, who designed the hotel’s logo;<br />
interior designer William Lim of CL3 Architects,<br />
who styled the impressive interiors; and<br />
architect Rocco Lim of Rocco Design Architects<br />
Ltd., who shaped Hotel ICON’s all-glass<br />
exterior. Find out more at www.hotel-icon.com<br />
Creative Hearts<br />
TO CELEBRATE their annual theme of “Contemporary artisan since 1837”, Hermès presents<br />
Hearts and Crafts — a <strong>2011</strong> fi lm directed by Frédéric Laffont and Isabelle Dupuy-Chavanat,<br />
which shines a light on the men and women who bring Hermès’ objects of beauty to life. The<br />
directors take its viewers to the four corners of France — from Paris to the Ardennes, from<br />
the Lyonnais to Lorraine — and open the doors of the house’s workshops to lift the veil on<br />
the people who create these designer pieces, such as the leather craftsperson, crystal and<br />
glassmaker, jeweller and more. The documentary was recently shown internationally; in Asia,<br />
screenings were held in Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. Hearts and Crafts<br />
will be available for viewing online at www.lesmainsdhermes.com/en<br />
{ 22 }<br />
TEXT MAYA O CALICA
Marco Polo Residences<br />
your most desirable address in Cebu<br />
The entry of a new luxury<br />
condominium development in<br />
the prestigious district of Nivel<br />
Hills and just beside Marco Polo Hotel,<br />
one of Asia’s leading hotel brands, is<br />
poised to add glitter to the gem of the<br />
South that is Cebu. Named Marco<br />
Polo Residences, the new project shall<br />
offer a fusion of Asian hospitality and<br />
Western innovations comparable to<br />
its contemporaries in other<br />
Asian countries.<br />
With the Marco Polo<br />
Residences, there is no need<br />
to ‘check out’ of the hotel’s<br />
legendary brand of service<br />
as buyers can look forward<br />
to a lavish hotel-style living all year<br />
round. Once completed, the Marco Polo<br />
Residences is also guaranteed to leave<br />
a sublime experience to all its guests,<br />
thanks to first-rate accommodations<br />
backed by lavish amenities.<br />
Just like its hotel counterpart, the<br />
Marco Polo Residences will rise in<br />
one of the most enviable spots in Cebu<br />
which has a breathtaking view of the<br />
city and the channel. Situated at 800<br />
feet above ground, the panoramic vista<br />
of the twinkling Cebu lights at night<br />
is clearly visible from its unit windows<br />
as well as from the view garden deck<br />
of the condominium’s podium area.<br />
For the other units, there is also a<br />
thrilling mountain view and the sunset<br />
to look forward to everyday.<br />
Marco Polo Residences will rise<br />
in one of the most enviable spots<br />
in Cebu which has a breathtaking<br />
view of the city and the channel<br />
The Marco Polo Residences offers<br />
a strategic location, being right in the<br />
centre of Metro Cebu. It is in close<br />
proximity to places of interest in the<br />
area like shopping malls, restaurants,<br />
schools and universities, country<br />
clubs and golf courses. It is just minutes<br />
away from the Asiatown IT Park,<br />
the Cebu Business Park, the Mactan<br />
International Airport and some<br />
kilometres away from Cebu City.<br />
Apart from the gorgeous view, the<br />
opulent charm of the Marco Polo<br />
Residences lies on its five-star hotellike<br />
amenities, well-appointed units<br />
and first-class services. The hotel-like<br />
ambience cascades to the common<br />
areas with its grand ground floor<br />
lobby and drop-off. The amenities<br />
are no less grandiose. The<br />
magnificent adult pool, wellequipped<br />
fitness centre, game<br />
room and a multi-purpose<br />
room to hold glitzy affairs<br />
are designed and maintained<br />
according to hotel standards.<br />
Indeed, the Marco Polo Residences<br />
is the first of its kind in the Queen<br />
City of the South. It is the first highrise<br />
luxury enclave in the area that<br />
promises of international quality<br />
services of the Marco Polo hotels.<br />
There is no limit to the pampering and<br />
lavishing that await its future residents.<br />
All they have to do is go home.<br />
FOR INQUIRIES visit its Cebu Showroom at the ground floor level of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Nivel Hills, Apas, Cebu City.<br />
Please call the Cebu Sales Office at (032) 234 8191, or thru its Manila line at (02) 888 8168 loc. 8191. Or visit the Manila<br />
showroom at the ground floor level of GT Tower International, 6813 Ayala Ave. cor. H.V. dela Costa St, Makati City.
A gift fit<br />
for a king<br />
To celebrate King Rama IX’s 84th birthday,<br />
a Thai hotel chain donates profi ts to charity<br />
CALL IT A BIRTHDAY gift that keeps on giving<br />
— for the 84th birthday of His Majesty King<br />
Bhumibol Adulyadej, all 10 Anantara hotels in<br />
Thailand donated THB99 (PHP138) for every<br />
guest that stayed in all of their resorts from<br />
October to December 5th. The amount goes<br />
to the Raks Thai Foundation’s 84 Schools<br />
Project, which was established to help<br />
Thai children who were not achieving their<br />
educational potential.<br />
Every year, nearly 600 schools do not<br />
pass Thailand’s quality assessment, and<br />
more than 100,000 students drop out<br />
of school due to poverty. More than just<br />
convincing students to stay in school, the<br />
foundation implements a brand new learning<br />
process based on the practical principles<br />
of education, livelihood and sustainability,<br />
alongside school improvements like clean<br />
water, sports equipment, education materials,<br />
computers, libraries and even agricultural<br />
equipment. The project is also designed to<br />
facilitate 6,720 disadvantaged children aged<br />
seven to 14 in 84 poor rural schools, so that<br />
they become independent lifelong learners<br />
who possess important life and occupational<br />
A business<br />
oasis in Taipei<br />
THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL in<br />
Taipei recently unveiled its new<br />
Executive Floor, which was styled<br />
by famous Taiwanese interior<br />
designer Celia Chu. Think of it as a<br />
calm retreat from the hustle and<br />
bustle of the city, with its 116 newly<br />
designed guest rooms decorated<br />
with earthy colors. Open from<br />
6.30am–10pm, the Lounge is also<br />
perfect for dining and meeting<br />
guests. www.worldhotels.com<br />
chikka buzz<br />
skills. Supported by 168 teachers trained in<br />
the new learning concept, children will study<br />
their community and environment, and in<br />
small groups will propose and implement<br />
small projects on leadership, alternative<br />
occupations, culture and environmental<br />
conservation. Says Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of<br />
Minor Hotel Group including Anantara, “By<br />
empowering the country’s youth through<br />
education and life skills, as well as teaching<br />
them how to preserve nature and culture, the<br />
long term benefi ts will be felt by each student<br />
and their community.”<br />
WATCH ENTHUSIASTS will want to head over to the ArtScience<br />
Museum at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore for Cartier artier Time Time<br />
Art — an exhibition that will take visitors on a journey ney to<br />
the heart of Cartier watchmaking through 158 iconic nic<br />
timepieces. These icons have been selected from<br />
the Cartier Collection, a unique array of vintage<br />
Cartier objects that are often displayed in the<br />
world’s most important museums. Some creations s<br />
worth looking into include the Santos wristwatch<br />
(designed in 1904 and released in 1911), the large<br />
Portique mystery clock (1923) with the mysterious s<br />
Billiken fi gure on it, and a rare jumping-hour pocket et<br />
watch with a transparent case. From December 14; 4;<br />
www.marinabaysands.com/ArtScienceMuseum<br />
{ 26 }<br />
The benefi ciary: The Raks<br />
Thai Foundation’s 84<br />
Schools Project, which aims<br />
to improve Thailand’s state<br />
of education and livelihood.<br />
WATCH AND LEARN<br />
TEXT MAYA MAYA O CALICA
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TEXT MAYA O CALICA<br />
Look who , s<br />
playing<br />
Here are four reasons to<br />
head down to Siloso Beach,<br />
Singapore for ZoukOut <strong>2011</strong><br />
EVERY YEAR, Siloso Beach on Sentosa Island<br />
is transformed into the ultimate dance and<br />
music playground with ZoukOut. This year’s<br />
party kicks off on December 10 at 6pm, and<br />
goes on until 8am the next day — with worldclass<br />
live acts providing the entertainment.<br />
Meet the coolest artists lined up to wow crowds<br />
right here.<br />
2 AVICII<br />
Who he is Swedish DJ Avicii<br />
balances his career with gigs at the best<br />
festivals and clubs around the world, and<br />
experiments on new sounds in his studio.<br />
With hit singles like Ryù — and remixes for<br />
Bob Sinclar, Roger Sanchez, Erick Morillo,<br />
David Guetta and Tiësto gaining hit status<br />
on charts around the world — he has<br />
conquered the music scene globally in so<br />
little time with his killer melodies and highenergy<br />
production style. www.avicii.com<br />
He says “I’ve heard more about ZoukOut<br />
than any other festival in Asia, so I am really<br />
looking forward to checking it out from the<br />
booth!”<br />
3<br />
chikka buzz<br />
BOB SINCLAR<br />
Who he is Bob Sinclar is considered<br />
a legend in DJ circles. The French record<br />
producer, House music DJ and remixer also<br />
founded his own label, Yellow Productions.<br />
Feel the discotastic 12” delights of World<br />
Hold On and Love Generation, the soulful<br />
beats of his Africanism movement, or his<br />
near-obsession with reggae and dance hall<br />
in his recent works. www.bobsinclar.com,<br />
www.mona-rennalls.de<br />
He says “The resonance of the ZoukOut<br />
festival is all around the world... DJs are<br />
hitting me back with amazing comments. I<br />
can’t wait to experience that Singapore vibe<br />
once again.”<br />
You have to be at least 18 years old to go to ZoukOut <strong>2011</strong>. To enter, you’ll need a photo ID or, for overseas guests, a valid passport. Tickets are<br />
available on December 10 at the Zouk ticketing booth (all day, tel: +65 6738 2988) and at the venue (from 5pm onwards) for S$98/PHP3,360.<br />
All Citibank credit cardholders enjoy a 10% discount off tickets. Also visit www.sistic.com.sg and www.zoukout.com<br />
{ 31 }<br />
1<br />
ARMIN VAN<br />
BUUREN<br />
Who he is This lord of the trance genre and<br />
king of the dance fl oor made it to the<br />
No. 1 spot in the DJ Mag Top 100 for the<br />
fourth year running in 2010. Also regarded<br />
as the “World’s Most Popular DJ”, he has an<br />
impressive CV that includes a Beatport Music<br />
Award for “Best Trance Artist”, a Burma Cultuur<br />
Pop Award, “Best Global DJ” in the 2010 IDMA<br />
in Miami, and more. Last year, he received<br />
the “Gouden Harp”, The Netherlands’ most<br />
prestigious music award. www.arminvanbuuren.<br />
com, www.davidlewis.nl<br />
He says “ZoukOut is like playing a match in the<br />
Champions League or Superbowl. It doesn’t get<br />
much bigger than this!”<br />
4 LADYTRON<br />
Who they are The Liverpool-born<br />
quartet — made up of Daniel Hunt, Reuben<br />
Wu, Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo — make<br />
their Singapore debut in ZoukOut <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Ladytron’s sound references everything from<br />
glam and disco to New Wave and European<br />
dance music. They also have a decade’s<br />
worth of artistry behind them and are<br />
considered the pioneers of the synth-based<br />
electro revival. www.ladytron.com, www.<br />
facebook.com/ladytron<br />
They say “Zouk is the energy inside our<br />
collective radiance synthesizer lamb brain.<br />
Since we love our Zouk, we will get our<br />
ZoukOut in Singapore, yes sir!”
1<br />
chikka buzz<br />
Om for the<br />
holidays<br />
De-stress amid the fl urry of the season<br />
with these relaxing ideas<br />
GET ON THE MAT<br />
Say “namaste” to reclaim your cool at<br />
Urban Ashram Manila. The Philippines’<br />
largest yoga studio boasts the best in-class<br />
facilities (award-winning Filipino designer<br />
Kenneth Cobonpue collaborated with the team<br />
to develop the design philosophy) and highly<br />
qualifi ed Yoga Alliance-registered teachers.<br />
What’s more, it’s the fi rst and only yoga studio<br />
in the country that is a member of the Green<br />
Yoga Association, a global community of yoga<br />
studios and teachers who are committed to<br />
earth-friendly and responsible practices.<br />
New to the discipline? Don’t let that stop<br />
you. Sign up for their signature FNR series<br />
— Flexibility Not Required — for a fun way<br />
to get started in yoga while learning its basic<br />
foundations for a properly aligned and<br />
fl exible body.<br />
More advanced students can also opt<br />
for their Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Ashtanga and<br />
Hatha classes, before winding down at the<br />
community lounge and browsing through their<br />
All Things Yoga boutique afterwards. Drop in for<br />
a session for PHP500, or sign up for a package<br />
that suits your needs. Urban Ashram Manila<br />
– Center for Yoga, Suite 302, 3 Brixton St,<br />
Kapitolyo, Pasig City (across Pioneer Center),<br />
tel: +63 (2) 661 YOGA/377 YOGA/+63 (917)<br />
881 YOGA, www.urbanashrammanila.com<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Manila from<br />
16 international destinations. www.<br />
cebupacifi cair.com<br />
Check out this<br />
eco-friendly<br />
yoga studio<br />
{ 32 }<br />
2<br />
LIVE BY A<br />
BEAUTIFUL<br />
LAKE<br />
Chill out at Fleur de Chine, which is located<br />
on the north peninsula of the dreamy Sun<br />
Moon Lake in Taiwan. While there, you can<br />
can immerse yourself in the local culture<br />
through experiential programs: a Yuchih<br />
Township tour for Assam Black Tea; pottery<br />
making; a visit to a museum fi lled with Sun<br />
Moon Lake’s legendary artifacts; and rock<br />
climbing with a view of Sun Moon Lake. A<br />
vacation package for two includes breakfast<br />
and dinner. www.fl eurdechinehotel.com<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Taipei from Manila.<br />
www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
3 RE-BALANCE<br />
WITH<br />
A RUBDOWN<br />
If the whirl of activity is driving you cuckoo,<br />
head to the Melo Spa at Hyatt Regency<br />
Hong Kong, Shatin — their winter spa<br />
packages will restore your sanity and make<br />
you feel amazing. Choose from the 1.5-hour<br />
Melo Cocoon Retreat, an invigorating body<br />
polish; the Enzyme Silky Body Wrap &<br />
Scalp Massage; and the Anti-Chill Massage,<br />
an anti-stress back massage. At HK$1,200/<br />
PHP8,336; to book, call +852 3723 7684<br />
or visit www.melospa.com<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Hong Kong from Cebu,<br />
Clark and Manila. www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
TEXT MAYA O CALICA PHOTOS JUAN RAMON MITRA AND JOSEPH SAWIT (URBAN ASHRAM)
TEXT MAYA O CALICA<br />
LAST MONTH, the “Elephant Parade” — the<br />
world’s largest open-air art exhibition —<br />
arrived in Singapore, with a herd of over 150<br />
life-sized fi berglass baby elephants displayed<br />
in Orchard Road, Marina Bay, Singapore<br />
Zoological Gardens, Botanic Gardens and<br />
VivoCity. The objective of “Elephant Parade”<br />
is to involve the public in its bid to save the<br />
Asian elephants by making conservation<br />
inclusive and exciting for everyone.<br />
chikka buzz<br />
Have you herd?<br />
These fi berglass baby elephants make for great<br />
Christmas gifts and help worthy causes<br />
Cabana Pool at<br />
Banyan Tree Macau<br />
As the offi cial retail partner for “Elephant<br />
Parade,” TANGS hosts the Elephant Parade<br />
Gallery Store, where fans can bring home<br />
replicas of their favorite elephants from<br />
parades around the world (it’s been exhibited<br />
in Rotterdam and London), including those<br />
designed just for Singapore. These replicas<br />
— which are hand-painted by professional<br />
artists in Chiang Mai, Thailand — are available<br />
in limited editions and range from 10 to<br />
Water weddings<br />
{ 37 }<br />
Left to right: White<br />
Tiger by Sakchai<br />
Pengprakorn; Candy<br />
by Isaac Mizrahi;<br />
Happiness Maximus by<br />
William Sim.<br />
75-cm high. Some of the highly anticipated<br />
designs come from Lulu Guinness, Diane von<br />
Furstenburg, Isaac Mizrahi and Karim Rashid.<br />
In addition to the elephant replicas,<br />
exclusive merchandise such as tea towels,<br />
reversible cloth bags, mugs and coasters will<br />
also be available. So purchase “Elephant<br />
Parade” products from TANGS Orchard and<br />
VivoCity now to help support Asian elephant<br />
conservation. www.tangs.com.sg<br />
IF IT’S TRUE that rain can bring luck to a wedding, why not go all the way and get<br />
married on water? You can do this at the exclusive fi ve-star urban resort Banyan Tree<br />
Macau. The posh hotel property, located in the US$1.9 billion integrated resort Galaxy<br />
Macau, debuted a unique fl oating stage among its numerous venues available for stylish<br />
weddings. The dramatic platform literally fl oats atop the Cabana Pool, providing a unique<br />
wedding-on-the-water experience that can witnessed by up to 200 guests poolside.<br />
Interested? Western or Chinese style romantic wedding packages can fi t up to 480<br />
guests at Banyan Tree Macau, with prices ranging from MOP6,688 to MOP11,688<br />
per table of 12. Tel: +853 8883 8833, reservations-macau@banyantree.com, www.<br />
banyantree.com
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR. WOODY. REX. We’ve seen<br />
and loved them in the movies. So imagine how<br />
thrilling it would be to witness these beloved<br />
animated friends in person. At Hong Kong<br />
Disneyland’s Toy Story Land, Walt Disney’s<br />
Imagineers have brought to life the magic of<br />
the stories and characters from the global<br />
blockbuster Toy Story movies.<br />
Toy Story Land isn’t just for the little ones<br />
— grownups who are kids at heart will likewise<br />
be awed by the scale of Disneyland’s latest<br />
attraction. Walk into the Toy Story themed area<br />
and into the oversized world of Andy Davis’<br />
backyard and meet the cast of characters — all<br />
larger than life.<br />
The three main attractions in Toy Story Land<br />
— RC Racer, Slinky Dog Spin and Toy Soldier<br />
Parachute Drop — are rides guaranteed to give<br />
you adrenaline-pumping fun. Andy’s speediest<br />
toy car, RC Racer, is the most thrilling new ride<br />
in Toy Story Land. Guests can race along a<br />
27-meter high U-shaped coaster as RC zooms<br />
promotional feature<br />
Holiday magic<br />
Plan the perfect Christmas gift — treat the family to the exciting<br />
Toy Story Land, Hong Kong Disneyland’s latest attraction<br />
around at full speed. Sarge also calls for all Toy<br />
Soldiers to join Andy’s troops for a 25-meter<br />
high fl ying adventure — Soldier Parachute<br />
Drop has guests lifted and then plunged into a<br />
simulated parachute drop. You may also opt for<br />
the rollicking Slinky Dog Spin and howl with<br />
laughter as you join Slinky in his attempt to<br />
catch his own tail.<br />
Kelly Willis, Creative Director for Walt<br />
Disney Imagineering Hong Kong, sums up the<br />
park’s vision for its latest attraction, saying,<br />
“We’re bringing these cherished stories from<br />
the big screen to reality. It will be a place<br />
where our guests will be transformed into toys<br />
themselves and get the chance to meet and<br />
play with their favorite Toy Story characters,<br />
including Woody, Jessie, the Toy Soldiers,<br />
Rex and more. Toy Story Land will be a highspirited<br />
and colorful place where guests can<br />
feel free to let their imagination run wild and<br />
have fun.” For more information, visit www.<br />
park.hongkongdisneyland.com<br />
{ 38 }<br />
Walking through Hong<br />
Kong Disneyland’s<br />
Toy Story Land feels<br />
like walking through a<br />
fantastic toy store.<br />
MORE TO COME<br />
Grizzly Gulch<br />
Based on an entirely new and original<br />
story of the “gold rush” days of the<br />
American Frontier and developed<br />
exclusively for Hong Kong, Grizzly Gulch<br />
will bring a high-speed terrain coaster<br />
style attraction to Hong Kong.<br />
Mystic Point<br />
This brand new themed land will<br />
feature an eccentric world traveler and<br />
adventurer with a collection of exotic<br />
and mysterious international artifacts.<br />
Many surprises will be in store for guests<br />
in Mystic Manor, as strange things get<br />
activated by an enchanted music box<br />
that possesses magical powers.
Pag tinodo mo ang katawan mo, baka sakit ang balik sa’yo.<br />
Mag-Enervon ® ! Multivitamins na may Energive Energuard!<br />
Energive - gives todo energy. Energuard - guards against sakit.<br />
MULTIVITAMINS<br />
ENERVON ®
TEXT MAYA O CALICA<br />
chikka eat and drink<br />
Moveable<br />
feasts<br />
Treat yourself to sumptuous holiday banquets<br />
in Singapore and Hong Kong<br />
Bedrock Bar & Grill<br />
96 Somerset Road, #01-05 Pan Pacifi c<br />
Serviced Suites, Singapore, Tel: +65<br />
6238 0054 (open Mon–Sat, 12pm–<br />
2.30pm; 6pm–10.30pm)<br />
WHAT IT IS A modern grill and whiskey bar<br />
with a warm and very intimate ambience.<br />
FEAST ON THIS From December 24–30, be<br />
dazzled by Chef Isaac Tan’s delectable fourcourse<br />
Christmas set dinner, which includes<br />
butternut pumpkin soup, smoked duck salad,<br />
grilled New York steak with duck fat potatoes<br />
and bone-marrow hollandaise, and the<br />
Christmas pavlova with passionfruit curd and<br />
coulis. S$120/PHP4,200 per person<br />
DID YOU KNOW? The restaurant will donate<br />
S$10 for every Tomahawk ribeye steak<br />
ordered to the MILK (Mainly I Love Kids)<br />
fund for disadvantaged children and youth<br />
in Singapore.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Singapore from Cebu,<br />
Clark and Manila. www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
{ 41 }<br />
Smoked duck salad<br />
Honey-glazed<br />
Chinese ham<br />
Double-boiled<br />
mushrooms, fi sh<br />
maw, sea whelk and<br />
chicken soup<br />
Xiao Nan Guo<br />
10/F One Peking, 1 Peking Road,<br />
Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong, Tel: +852 2527<br />
8899 (open 11am–2.30pm; 6pm–11pm),<br />
www.xiaonanguo.com<br />
WHAT IT IS A Shanghainese restaurant<br />
that offers “exquisite and inspired” cuisine,<br />
as well as amazing panoramic views across<br />
Victoria Harbour.<br />
FEAST ON THIS On December 24 and 25,<br />
take your pick from two exclusive dinner<br />
menus. Main course choices include strawbundled<br />
belly pork and stewed spicy jumbo<br />
prawn, or traditional honey-glazed Chinese<br />
ham and casserole of wild mushrooms with<br />
abalone sauce. HK$468/PHP2,585 per<br />
person and HK$1,780/PHP9,833 for four<br />
DID YOU KNOW? Xiao Nan Guo began<br />
with four tables 20 years ago — now it’s a<br />
local Hong Kong success story!<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Hong Kong from Cebu,<br />
Clark and Manila. www.cebupacifi cair.com
chikka buzz<br />
Q&A:<br />
Carlos Celdran<br />
Artist, advocate, raconteur and part-time provocateur<br />
Carlos Celdran reveals how he keeps part of history alive<br />
with humor, a dash of irreverence and loads of info<br />
CARLOS CELDRAN’S irreverent, clever and<br />
highly popular walking tours defy convention<br />
and delve more into performance art than<br />
touristy diversions. During these tours, the<br />
costumed Celdran — usually in a barong<br />
tagalog and top hat — leads a group of people<br />
through sections of the old walled city of<br />
Intramuros and passes on impressive amounts<br />
of knowledge on Filipino culture and pysche<br />
to a rapt audience.<br />
Why walking?<br />
Therapy. It started as a job but now it’s<br />
become a vocation. Working with the Heritage<br />
Conservation Society, I did walking tours as<br />
part of their outreach program. Now I walk for<br />
a living and I haven’t worked a single day in<br />
my life.<br />
And how does this help<br />
preserve the Pinoy heritage?<br />
I don’t like the word “preserve,” it sounds<br />
like you’re pickling something in a jar. I think<br />
Philippine culture is very much alive and is in<br />
a constant state of fl ux, which is a good thing.<br />
The only problem now is that we have a hard<br />
time making our past relevant to the present,<br />
which is the only way to teach the new<br />
generation about our history and culture. Doing<br />
the walking tours is like reciting an oral history<br />
of Manila that I do on a weekly basis.<br />
Do you think Filipinos who<br />
go on the tour have a better<br />
appreciation for the city?<br />
The tour is really kind of a conversation I<br />
have with myself, so I’m not trying to change<br />
anyone’s point of view; but I am more than<br />
happy to have people come along with me<br />
on the journey as well. I don’t actually go out<br />
{ 42 }<br />
The walking historybook-with-a-twist,<br />
Carlos Celdran.<br />
Carlos’ quips<br />
On his favorite spot in Manila<br />
Oh, obviously Intramuros, specifi cally<br />
Baluarte San Diego, the southwestern<br />
part. It overlooks the park and has a<br />
view of the sunset. It’s a little green,<br />
grassy, quiet moment of solace in<br />
Manila.<br />
On downtime in the city<br />
For a drink I go to The Other Offi ce, a<br />
small piano bar in Ermita. Nothing’s<br />
more cathartic than having a Scotch<br />
and belting out a song where nobody<br />
can judge you.<br />
On being a “guardian of culture”<br />
Thank you for calling me that, but<br />
I’m glad it’s something you called me<br />
instead of something I’m calling myself.<br />
Strong claim, strong claim.<br />
there and say, “Oh my God, I want to change<br />
the way people think.” I just do the tour as a<br />
continuing conversation with myself.<br />
What role does preserving<br />
culture play in keeping a<br />
country strong?<br />
It’s like brand management — the more<br />
confi dent you are with the product, the better<br />
it will sell. So, basically, history helps a person<br />
have a fuller understanding of the self; of one’s<br />
idiosyncrasies, strengths, weaknesses and<br />
potentials.<br />
Name something interesting<br />
about Filipinos that few<br />
people actually realize.<br />
How connected we are to world history. Before<br />
Manny Pacquiao, before Imelda Marcos,<br />
Filipinos gave to the world things like the yoyo<br />
(laughs). We have been amalgamating cultures<br />
and infl uences from all around the world to<br />
create a unique culture. The Philippines was<br />
post-modern before post-modern was cool.<br />
We’ve been taking infl uences from all around<br />
the world: religion, genes, architecture and<br />
cuisine. We’ve been mixing and matching<br />
things since the day we started. Our lack of<br />
“purity” is our strength. We should embrace<br />
our diversity.<br />
Catch Carlos Celdran’s walking tours of<br />
historical Manila. For schedules, check www.<br />
carlosceldran.com<br />
TEXT RIA LIMJAP PHOTO WALTER VILLA
What , s new,<br />
Pussycat?<br />
NICOLE SCHERZINGER has found success<br />
even after the Pussycat Dolls. The Hawaiianborn<br />
beauty won Dancing With the Stars<br />
Season 10, and this month will release her<br />
debut album, Killer Love. The 33-year-old<br />
star’s solo effort refl ects her love for rock, soul<br />
and funk, and features collaborations with<br />
Enrique Iglesias and the hit singles Don’t Hold<br />
Your Breath and Poison. What’s more, she<br />
rules as a judge on the hot new reality talent<br />
show, The X Factor, with Simon Cowell.<br />
Your Poison video shows<br />
both Good Nicole and Bad<br />
Nicole, right?<br />
Yeah — it’s inspired by a 1930s Watchman<br />
kind of vibe. It’s basically Good and Bad<br />
Nicole kicking ass around town.<br />
So who do you prefer —<br />
Good or Bad Nicole?<br />
I think at heart I’m Good Nicole, but<br />
sometimes at night Bad Nicole comes<br />
out to play.<br />
Just like in your sexy music<br />
video, Heartbeat, with<br />
Enrique Iglesias? Is your<br />
new video with him just<br />
as sexy?<br />
It’s a different kind of sexy. Enrique’s is very<br />
moody and more intimate, and mine is more<br />
in your face.<br />
Speaking of sexy, how do<br />
you get that perfect body?<br />
(Laughs) I don’t know if I have a perfect body.<br />
I just know the right things to wear to make<br />
Ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger gets candid about<br />
her new album — and hosting The X Factor with Simon<br />
Cowell. Interview by Stephen Unwin/Celebritext<br />
you think that. It’s about fi nding stuff that you<br />
can rock and is unique to you. I don’t like<br />
diets too much. I’m a jogger.<br />
You , ve never been on a<br />
diet?<br />
I’ve tried every diet! I tried Master Cleanse,<br />
but that’s not really a diet, that’s just not<br />
eating. I did that for two days. I get really<br />
grumpy when I don’t eat.<br />
And you turn into Bad<br />
Nicole.<br />
Yeah!<br />
Now that you , re doing stuff<br />
outside of the Pussycat<br />
Dolls, do you feel more in<br />
control of your life?<br />
I just actually get to sleep more! With the<br />
Pussycat Dolls it was a crazy whirlwind — it<br />
was like being in Disneyland for, like, fi ve<br />
years. But the Pussycat Dolls was still me,<br />
but just more like a persona of me. I feel like<br />
I’m jumping out of the Pussycat Dolls. It’s like<br />
I’m on Teenage Ninja Turtles green ooze. The<br />
next album is Teenage Ninja Turtles taking<br />
over the town.<br />
And now you , re doing The<br />
X Factor in the States. What<br />
did you think when Simon<br />
Cowell first asked you to do<br />
his show in the UK?<br />
I was a little nervous because I understand<br />
what an impact the show has, and I know<br />
people in the UK have very strong minds. I<br />
was hoping I wouldn’t get booed.<br />
{ 44 }<br />
You seemed to be able to<br />
criticize without hurting<br />
their feelings.<br />
If I give criticism, there’s a reason for it. I really<br />
don’t know what I’m talking about at the end<br />
of the day, that’s what I think. I’m talking like<br />
I know everything and I really don’t. I’m just<br />
talking from experience.<br />
Well, you fooled us.<br />
Oh, good!<br />
How would you rate Simon’s<br />
hair?<br />
Simon blows my mind because he works on<br />
his hair 24/7 and it still looks the same. I think<br />
when he wakes up his hair naturally looks<br />
like that. I don’t think he has bad hair days.<br />
If you weren , t famous now,<br />
would you go on The X<br />
Factor or American Idol?<br />
Oh defi nitely, without a doubt.<br />
How far do you think<br />
you , d go?<br />
Oh, I’d hope to win the whole thing,<br />
obviously! I’m just a naturally competitive<br />
person, but it comes from a good place.<br />
You won Dancing with the<br />
Stars, you , re a pop star, TV<br />
judge and actress. Is there<br />
anything you can , t do?<br />
Erm, yeah, I’m sure there’s a lot I can’t do.<br />
I tried to grill a steak once for my sister and<br />
it was horrible. It was burnt on one side and<br />
frozen on the inside.
On O being b g sexy: “It’s about<br />
finding fin stuff<br />
th that you y can rock and<br />
is<br />
unique to you.”<br />
chikka interview<br />
{ 45 }
chikka buzz<br />
Perk up<br />
your party!<br />
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Raise the bar Let them eat<br />
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Try The BaR’s latest, The BaR Citrus Tequila, and serve delicious<br />
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keeping friends and family posted on the<br />
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{ 46 }<br />
Who can remember what life was like before<br />
Cupcakes by Sonja, those wonderfully<br />
sweet concoctions topped with light and<br />
fl uffy, melt-in-your-mouth cream? This<br />
Christmas, make all those holiday gettogethers<br />
even sweeter with treats that can<br />
liven up any party. Just for the holidays,<br />
Cupcakes by Sonja, the cake factory known<br />
for its impressive towering cupcakes, offers<br />
an irresistible special — racks and racks<br />
of pretty cupcakes designed as Chirstmas<br />
decorations, baked fresh every day using<br />
only the fi nest ingredients. For only<br />
PHP430, the Christmas Package comes<br />
with 12 mouthwatering mini cupcakes with<br />
pretty holiday toppers. Your guests will<br />
be talking about it long after they’ve left!<br />
1 C03 Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global<br />
City, Taguig, tel: + 63 (2) 915 2936, www.<br />
cupcakesbysonja.com
TEXT MAYA O CALICA<br />
chikka buzz<br />
Wet, wet, wet<br />
These game-ready gadgets sure can take a beating<br />
from the elements<br />
FREEDOM EARBUDS<br />
The offi cial training headphones of the<br />
USA Triathlon team sure live up to their<br />
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have a tangle-free cord that doesn’t get in<br />
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US$99/PHP4,283; www.jaybirdgear.com<br />
SWIMSENSE<br />
Using motion-sensing technology,<br />
Swimsense is the world’s only swim<br />
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fi nisinc.com<br />
ECO EXTREME<br />
Gear up your mp3 or cell phone for your<br />
next rugged adventure with the Eco<br />
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PHP3,028; www.gracedigitalaudio.com/<br />
eco-extreme<br />
{ 47 }<br />
TEA FOR<br />
THE ROAD<br />
DROP BY any Langham Hotel across<br />
the network to celebrate their esteemed<br />
afternoon tea heritage. They have three<br />
specially created blends that’ll transport<br />
you to exotic lands with one cuppa —<br />
actual traveling optional.<br />
The Langham Blend An elegant mix of fi rst<br />
and second fl ush Assam, Darjeeling and<br />
Tippy Golden Orange Pekoe black teas<br />
evokes a trip to India.<br />
The Silk Road Blend is created with the<br />
fi nest Chinese Silver Needle white teas<br />
blended with aromatic jasmine and Iranian<br />
rosebuds. This is one drink that’ll bring you<br />
on an aromatic journey of the silk route —<br />
across Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe,<br />
and even parts of North and East Africa.<br />
The Palm Court Exotic Blend pays homage<br />
to Palm Court at The Langham London —<br />
the original home of afternoon tea. With its<br />
perfect blend of Chinese Fujian white tea<br />
— hibiscus fl owers, rosehip peel and rose<br />
petals — you’ll take one sip and go back<br />
to 1865, when the fi rst afternoon tea was<br />
served. www.langhamhospitalitygroup.com<br />
Book a table with<br />
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IN SINGAPORE, booking a table is<br />
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and then just click to book. You’ll get<br />
on-the-spot confi rmation.
THANKS TO THE ASUS K Series Notebook,<br />
keeping in touch has never been easier.<br />
The innovative gadget helps you connect<br />
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Each ASUS K Series Notebook offers:<br />
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Keep<br />
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The new ASUS K Series Notebook comes<br />
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Brilliant colors. Whether it’s for<br />
school, home or business, the ASUS K<br />
Series Notebook complements your family’s<br />
habits and lifestyle. Mom, dad and your<br />
siblings can choose from red, pink, green,<br />
gold, blue and brown.<br />
IceCool technology. Heat-generating<br />
components like the CPU and GPU are<br />
placed on the underside of the Notebook,<br />
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it cool to the touch. The technology also<br />
prevents the keyboard from becoming<br />
sticky, so you can type those emails and<br />
messages with ease.<br />
{ 48 }<br />
Second-generation mobile Intel Core<br />
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K Series notebook’s performance and<br />
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With its advanced features, the ASUS K<br />
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ASUS K Series Notebooks are available at all authorized ASUS dealers all over the Philippines.<br />
For more information, visit ph.asus.com and facebook.com/asusph
slick traveler:<br />
Anupa Horvil<br />
The founder of luxe and eco-friendly<br />
accessories brand Anupa in Ho Chi Minh<br />
City hopes to encourage consumers to<br />
shop and travel responsibly<br />
Most inspiring cities<br />
Bali is just an amazing island with lovely food,<br />
smiling faces, and some of the best spas and<br />
yoga retreats I have ever been too. Saigon is<br />
also special, and this is why I’ve lived here<br />
for 13 years. It is dynamic and booming, and<br />
there is always some new place opening all<br />
the time. When I travel, I just like to wind<br />
down and enjoy the place for what it is. When<br />
inspiration hits me, I write down my ideas and<br />
sometimes take photos.<br />
Travel light… not!<br />
I love traveling and so I travel very often. But<br />
I have never been one to travel light. I prefer<br />
to travel in comfort and always pack with this<br />
in mind. But I always make sure to pack my<br />
travel kit, notebook, perfume, yoga clothes<br />
and a book.<br />
Her travel wish list<br />
I would love to visit Osaka and Hong Kong. I<br />
hope to visit the fi sh market which is supposed<br />
chikka buzz<br />
Check out Anupa’s work<br />
at www.anupa.net<br />
to be amazing, and Hong Kong to visit the<br />
islands and eat at the local food haunts.<br />
New souvenirs<br />
PINING FOR SWEET DREAMS?<br />
YOU CAN BET you’ll sleep well at Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts. That’s because guests<br />
get to choose a pillow from an à la carte pillow menu to ensure restful slumber. One you<br />
ought to try: The Swiss Pine pillow, which gives off a soothing scent of resin and reduces<br />
night-time perspiration around the<br />
head and neck. Another option is the<br />
heat-regulating cotton-covered spelt<br />
pillow, which is fi lled with 1,400g of<br />
organic spelt to ease tension in the<br />
back and neck. Upon ordering, your<br />
choice of pillow is delivered to your<br />
room by the housekeeping staff.<br />
Want to take them home? Purchase<br />
them at www.swissotelathome.com<br />
{ 50 }<br />
I love food so I’m always interested in the<br />
spices and food from the places I visit. I am<br />
always looking for nice high-end boutiques<br />
where local designers might be based. I also<br />
love natural products such as candles, oils,<br />
clothes and shoes made in a sustainable<br />
fashion. I love having things that are beautifully<br />
made and original.<br />
A local , s POV<br />
I love to know a city from a regular person’s<br />
point of view and often want to explore what’s<br />
authentic. I always start by fi nding the best<br />
restaurants locally, and trying their food and<br />
wine. I also love experiencing local spas and<br />
natural treatments. There is so much of this in<br />
Asia, making it a great continent to explore.<br />
Her best travel advice<br />
Do your homework and learn more about the<br />
city you visit. It is worth booking hotels and a<br />
few things in advance to ensure that you have<br />
a lovely holiday.<br />
TEXT MAYA O CALICA
ILLUSTRATION KIT KAT MAINGAT You<br />
Camera-shy?<br />
Not a Pinoy<br />
family!<br />
chikka laugh g tripp<br />
know<br />
you , re Pinoy if...<br />
This Christmas, Tim Tayag reminds us of the telling signs that<br />
let us know we’re unmistakably part of a Pinoy family<br />
THE LAST SUPPER painting, the giant spoon<br />
and fork, the rosary hanging on the rearview<br />
mirror, pointing with your lips — you’ve heard<br />
all these before as some part of a “You Know<br />
You’re Filipino” list. But what about holiday<br />
season-specifi c Filipino behavior, which starts<br />
in the “ber” months? And so here it is, the<br />
incomplete “You know you’re from a Pinoy<br />
family if…” Christmas edition.<br />
You , re at the airport every<br />
week to pick up family<br />
Your relatives from abroad start coming in<br />
with their balikbayan boxes and faux foreign<br />
accents. Those jeepneys for hire start getting<br />
busy around the holiday season as your<br />
uncles, aunties and cousins with the bleached<br />
blonde hair and Manny Pacquiao shirts come<br />
home because they know we have the best<br />
Christmas in the world. All of them have one<br />
wish: “I want to be on Willie’s game show.”<br />
You’ll have to flex your smile<br />
muscles as often as Renato<br />
Donaire flexes his biceps<br />
To say that we Filipinos love our photos<br />
would be the understatement of the year —<br />
every family portrait around Christmas-time<br />
translates to at least an hour of sitting and<br />
holding your pose. The day’s designated<br />
photographer will look like a Christmas tree<br />
as cameras of all shapes and sizes, belonging<br />
to each member of the assembled clan, hang<br />
from his arms.<br />
Your mom puts up the<br />
Christmas decorations<br />
Actually, the festive lights have always been<br />
hanging around the house, but now it’s time<br />
to plug them back in. Your mother is in<br />
constant competition with your neighbors’<br />
Christmas displays; and so this year, she<br />
creates the most elaborate reindeer, sleigh,<br />
and birth of Jesus Christ life-sized diorama on<br />
the roof of your house, which is also visible<br />
from the airplanes in the sky. All your vehicles<br />
are also required to have mini lanterns hanging<br />
on the rearview mirror, unless you don’t want<br />
to receive any gifts this year because you’re<br />
not a team player.<br />
{ 53 }<br />
You eat ham and queso de<br />
bola every day<br />
These are the leftovers from Christmas eve<br />
that you’ll be dining on for the rest of the year.<br />
You’ll realize how many different ways you can<br />
serve ham – ham and cheese sandwich, ham<br />
and cheese salad, ham and cheese omelet,<br />
ham and cheese spaghetti, ham and cheese<br />
paksiw, ham and cheese ice cream, etc.<br />
Your whole family hides from<br />
the carolers and godchildren<br />
Your parents instruct your maids, “Tell them<br />
nobody’s home. We’re all out of town and<br />
won’t be back until the summer.” Your family<br />
panics at the sight of Christmas carolers,<br />
godchildren, janitors, security guards,<br />
newspaper delivery boys, and anybody with<br />
an envelope asking for their pamasko, a.k.a.<br />
cash money.<br />
The list goes on, demonstrating the<br />
elaborate holiday season celebration in a<br />
country where Yuletide is a month long. And<br />
you’re defi nitely from a Filipino family if you<br />
always look forward to Christmas time.
chikka checklist<br />
Merry treats<br />
From dream getaways, affordable shopping to<br />
a view to a brighter future, here’s our list of top<br />
presents for the special people in your life<br />
A mini break for<br />
balikbayan relatives<br />
Bring your visiting relatives from abroad to St Giles<br />
Hotel Makati (SGHM). Managed by Cititel Hotel<br />
Management (a subsidiary of IGB Corporation<br />
Berhad in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), the hotel<br />
offers an attractive package for balikbayans. A<br />
two-night stay in a Superior Room for two costs<br />
only PHP3,570 net per person, and already<br />
includes a buffet breakfast, welcome drinks,<br />
Internet access, 10 percent discount on food,<br />
beverage and laundry, as well as scheduled<br />
shuttle services to and from Ayala Malls. Kids<br />
below fi ve years old can even stay for free. Guests<br />
must present their passport and resident ID to avail<br />
of the promotion; offer valid until December 17,<br />
<strong>2011</strong>. Makati Ave cor Kalayaan Ave, Makati, tel:<br />
+63 (2) 988 9883/88, www.StGilesManila.com<br />
From left: Get VIP treatment<br />
this season at St Giles Hotel Makati,<br />
and Langham Xintiandi in Shanghai.<br />
{ 55 }<br />
Shanghai getaway<br />
for you and your<br />
better half<br />
Whether it’s a holiday honeymoon<br />
or an advanced Valentine’s Day gift,<br />
the Langham Xintiandi in the heart of<br />
Shanghai’s vibrant Xintiandi entertainment<br />
and shopping district will suit your needs.<br />
They’ve extended their “Linger Longer For<br />
Less” package until February 29, 2012,<br />
entitling guests to the following discounts<br />
off their Best Available Rate: a two-night<br />
stay at 10 percent off; a three-night stay at<br />
15 percent off; and a four-night stay at 20<br />
percent off.<br />
The package includes free Internet<br />
throughout your stay, daily laundry<br />
credit valued at RMB300 (PHP4,141) per<br />
day, daily mini bar credit at RMB200<br />
(PHP2,761) per day, complimentary<br />
water and fruit on arrival, as well as their<br />
Legendary Langham chocolates.<br />
What’s more, lovebirds can relax at the<br />
just-opened Chuan Spa, which features<br />
treatments that focus on Traditional<br />
Chinese Medicine. Order the signature<br />
martinis and fi ne caviar at the elegant new<br />
Cachet Martini Bar right after. Tel: +86 (21)<br />
2330 2288, xintiandi.langhamhotels.com
Spending Christmas or New Year<br />
outdoors? Shield your eyes with<br />
proper eye care from Transitions.<br />
chikka checklist<br />
Clear vision for the whole family<br />
Here’s a thoughtful gift that ensures everyone can welcome the New Year with better<br />
eyesight: Transitions Lenses — the photochromic (variable tint) lens most recommended by<br />
eye care professionals worldwide. The difference between your ordinary lenses and Transitions<br />
lenses is this: photochromic lenses automatically adjust to changing light conditions, going from<br />
clear when indoors to comfortably dark when exposed to glaring sunlight outdoors. This means<br />
you enjoy visual acuity and convenient protection from the harmful effects of UV radiation<br />
and glare.<br />
Transitions Lenses can also be worn anywhere and in all weather conditions, providing a<br />
convenient way to protect one’s eyes from glare (visible light) and ultra-violet (invisible light)<br />
rays, which are harmful to the eye. Transitions Lenses also help improve the quality of your<br />
vision and maintain the long-term health of your eyes. www.transitions.com<br />
Convenient and<br />
affordable shopping<br />
for everyone<br />
Looking for a treasure trove of presents for<br />
everyone on your list, at prices that won’t<br />
break the bank? Head to Tutuban Center.<br />
The three-building shopping destination<br />
along CM Recto Ave in Manila was recently<br />
proclaimed by the Department of Tourism<br />
(DOT) as a DOT-accredited department<br />
store. According to the inspection team led<br />
by Jose Tolentino, Chief of the Inspection<br />
Division of the DOT, the goods at Tutuban<br />
are sold at “economical” prices, and<br />
are “displayed and properly manned by<br />
uniformed and courteous sales attendants.”<br />
So go shop crazy for their wide selection of<br />
quality goods! www.tutuban.com.ph<br />
Toast your friends<br />
If you’re hitting Hong Kong for the<br />
holidays and New Year’s Eve, make sure<br />
to buy your friends a drink (or two) at the<br />
Waterfall Bar in the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.<br />
Until December 31, you can enjoy the new<br />
additions to their drinks menu: the Pineapple<br />
Ginger Martini (a vodka-based cocktail<br />
blended with ginger juice and pineapple juice),<br />
Peppermint Twist (a mix of Kahlua and Cherry<br />
Brandy topped with fresh peppermint leaf),<br />
Lemongrass Martini (a refreshing drink with a<br />
{ 56 }<br />
Dresses<br />
specially sp<br />
made<br />
for you<br />
Clothes for<br />
young women<br />
Treat your Singapore-based female<br />
friends to fashions they won’t<br />
fi nd in stores. Moody Mary is an<br />
independent clothing label that<br />
makes one-of-a-kind dresses that<br />
make its wearers stand out. Think<br />
animal prints and vintage-style<br />
designs on light cardigans and<br />
blazers, skirts, asymmetrical tops,<br />
and sassy party dresses. Check out<br />
Moody Mary’s collection online at<br />
www.shopmoodymary.com<br />
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s<br />
new martinis, iced teas<br />
and margaritas<br />
mix of lemongrass fl avored vodka, syrup and lemon juice), Dark Cherry (a combination with a mix<br />
of vanilla vodka, Grand Marnier and cranberry juice), Patron Margarita (a perfect blend of Patron<br />
Silver, Triple Sec and lime juice), and Traditional Long Island Ice Tea (a classic cocktail with a mix<br />
of different liqueurs and a splash of coke). You can also order deluxe snacks and premium Cuban<br />
cigars while relaxing amid artfully landscaped rocks, waterfalls and green surroundings on the 11th<br />
fl oor podium. 1 Harbour Road, Hong Kong, tel: +852 2584 7722<br />
TEXT MAYA O CALICA
1<br />
promotional feature<br />
5 reasons for<br />
resort living<br />
Not that you’ll need any more convincing, but living in Hanaya<br />
– AboitizLand, Inc.’s latest project and second vertical residential<br />
development – evokes memories of a pampering<br />
weekend getaway, every day<br />
Hanaya equals<br />
relaxed bliss<br />
The word “Hanaya” comes from<br />
“hayahay”, which means “comfortable” or<br />
“convenient” in Visayan, and “hanayo” or<br />
“world of fl owers” in Japanese. It describes<br />
the pleasant and breezy ambience of the<br />
resort-style village perfectly.<br />
2<br />
Refreshing green<br />
environs<br />
Located in Canduman, Mandaue City<br />
in Cebu, Hanaya sits on fi ve hectares of<br />
green and open space (Cebu’s biggest at<br />
70%). Its amenities complement its natural<br />
surroundings, with beautifully landscaped<br />
gardens, fi tness trails, a pavilion and gazebo<br />
that allow homeowners to fully admire and<br />
appreciate the views.<br />
3<br />
Well-planned spaces<br />
Each level of the six-storey<br />
condominium has only 16 residences, with<br />
a balcony or patio for enjoying the view<br />
and fresh air. Choose from two- and threebedroom<br />
units in standard, deluxe and suite<br />
layouts at affordable prices.<br />
What’s more, Hanaya’s design is earthfriendly:<br />
It has a garden atrium at the center<br />
of each building. It utilizes less artifi cial<br />
lighting and ventilation, thanks to its cool<br />
green walls and compact fl ourescent lights.<br />
Low-fl ow water fi xtures, dual-fl ush water<br />
closets and a rainway recovery system also<br />
ensure that water is used wisely.<br />
4<br />
An active lifestyle<br />
All these features make you want<br />
to take advantage of the outdoors — and<br />
{ 59 }<br />
Hanaya helps you do that with free-form<br />
and lap pools for adults, a separate pool for<br />
children, playgrounds, an open basketball<br />
court and barbecue stations. The clubhouse<br />
is also the perfect venue for large gatherings<br />
or intimate celebrations.<br />
5<br />
The company of<br />
friendly vecinos<br />
Vecino – “neighbors” in Spanish – is what<br />
AboitizLand, Inc. calls its valued clients and<br />
homeowners; an apt word for those who live<br />
in such a nurturing community. Visit www.<br />
aboitizland.com for more information and<br />
you can be a part of it too.<br />
ABOITIZLAND, INC.<br />
Signal Trading Building, No. 1 Paseo<br />
Saturnino, Maria Luisa Road, Banilad,<br />
Cebu City 6000, Philippines<br />
Tel: +63 (32) 411-1600; +63 (32) 411-1623;<br />
US Toll Free: 1-800-930-3304<br />
Email: contactus@aboitizland.com<br />
www.aboitizland.com
Live smart<br />
in Davao<br />
Poised to become Davao’s<br />
future landmark, Aeon Towers<br />
is designed to be a model of<br />
sustainable and energy-effi cient<br />
everyday living<br />
WITH AEON TOWERS, the new development<br />
of FTC Properties, Davao is now making its<br />
way to becoming another mega city. Set to be<br />
a green model property that uses sustainable<br />
technology, Aeon Towers is a luxurious<br />
condominium property located near Abreeza<br />
Mall in Bajada. It will rise approximately 35<br />
storeys, including fi ve basement levels for<br />
parking. The building’s lower fl oors will be<br />
designated as commercial areas.<br />
“The exterior of the building will be made<br />
of special cut glass, which provides natural<br />
lighting during the days and cuts down energy<br />
consumption,” says Ian Y Cruz, president<br />
and chief executive offi cer of FTC Group<br />
of Companies. ”We shall offer what would<br />
embody the future’s high standard quality in<br />
condominium living in Davao City, comparable<br />
to the world’s best.”<br />
According to Cruz, Aeon Towers will be one<br />
of the fi rst buildings in the country to offer the<br />
Smart Home Technology — the building will<br />
follow a network and cable design that can<br />
convert a regular home to a fully automated<br />
home, following the tastes of the condominium<br />
unit owner. Among those that will be installed:<br />
wireless automated lighting, air-conditioning,<br />
and whole home audio control. “All the above<br />
features are possible with the use of this<br />
system,“ Cruz explains.<br />
Smart Home Technology requires<br />
absolutely zero power, which saves energy.<br />
“Besides being environment-friendly, the<br />
technology also serves as a realization of<br />
the need for automated products that make<br />
promotional feature<br />
life easier, safer and more enjoyable,“ Cruz<br />
adds. “Amidst the advanced technology or<br />
state-of-the-art features of the condominium,<br />
the essence of home is never forgotten in<br />
every aspect of the design. It must still remain<br />
a home that is ‘close to heart’ — so there<br />
is also the promise of fond memories and<br />
unforgettable experiences if people choose to<br />
stay in Aeon Towers.”<br />
Aeon Towers is being developed as a high-<br />
{ 60 }<br />
A vision of the future:<br />
How Aeon Towers<br />
will look like in 2016.<br />
end project complete with prime amenities and<br />
a panoramic view of Davao Gulf and Mt. Apo,<br />
the country’s highest peak.<br />
The construction will begin on the third<br />
quarter of 2012, and the projected time of<br />
turnover will be on the fi rst quarter of 2016.<br />
For more information, call tel: +63 (82) 305<br />
0588 or +63 (82) 300 1288.<br />
www.aeontowers.com.ph
The North Face<br />
Longhaul 21<br />
For the adventure<br />
seeker<br />
When their idea of a holiday includes<br />
camping and roughing it out in the<br />
mountains or forest trails, pair a roomy<br />
bag with sturdy boots that are perfect<br />
for hiking and the outdoors.<br />
The reliable Longhaul 21 carry-on<br />
luggage by The North Face organizes<br />
and stores your items with pockets,<br />
compression straps, a wet/dry roll top<br />
compartment, and bottom, top, front<br />
and side carry handles. PHP11,690;<br />
www.thenorthface.com<br />
The Large Backpack Arc Series by<br />
Timberland is water-resistant, and<br />
has daisy chains for your add-ons,<br />
Timberland Arc Series<br />
Timberland Radler<br />
Trail Camper<br />
adjustable shoulder straps, and<br />
moulded rubber grab handles to better<br />
carry the extra load.<br />
Timberland’s footwear is just as<br />
durable: the Radler Trail Camper<br />
is designed to be compact and<br />
comfortable, with DWR treated rip-stop<br />
water-resistant fabric, a removable<br />
fl eece-lined footbed, and Durable<br />
Green Rubber outsole for traction. The<br />
Timberland Icon 6” Premium Boot<br />
is made with water-proof leather, a<br />
padded collar for the ankle, durable<br />
laces, rust-proof hardware and a rubber<br />
lug outsole. www.timberland.com<br />
{ 62 }<br />
Mix and<br />
match<br />
Why just give one gift when you<br />
can give more? This Christmas,<br />
put together special packages<br />
of travel , Why just give one gift f when you<br />
s best brands for every<br />
kind of travel personality.<br />
By Charmaine Baylon
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES (MAIN)<br />
H OLIDAY GIFT GUIDE<br />
{ 63 }
For the frequent<br />
traveler<br />
Do they often forget to pack the little<br />
things? Assemble a handy travel kit<br />
that’ll help them look and feel their best.<br />
With Nivea Oil Control For Men, his<br />
skin can weather various conditions<br />
— the oil-free formulation helps clear<br />
oily skin problems and clogged pores.<br />
Available at drugstores<br />
For healthy skin on the go,<br />
supplement your diet with Life Oil<br />
capsules. Extracted from Malunggay<br />
leaves and seeds, it also contains<br />
vitamin C, Chlorophyll and Omega 3.<br />
Available at Mercury Drug stores<br />
Then help shield their eyes from<br />
the sun with chic frames from the<br />
Rudy Project Jazz eyewear line. www.<br />
rudyproject.com<br />
a-Jays earphones<br />
Sony Cyber-shot TX55<br />
A spritz of a cool scent like Hugo Just<br />
Different will freshen him up and boost<br />
his confi dence. PHP3,550–4,500;<br />
available at leading department stores<br />
Whether they’re waiting at the airport<br />
or just hanging out, they’ll relax more<br />
knowing they can listen to their favorite<br />
music — the a-JAYS earphones offer<br />
quality sounds with its 8.6mm speakers.<br />
www.JAYSphilippines.com<br />
Then again, they’ll also love the sleek<br />
Nokia N9. A swipe instead of a returnto-home<br />
key makes it a breeze to use.<br />
www.nokia.com.ph<br />
Encourage her to share snippets of<br />
her travels with the Sony Cyber-shot<br />
TX55 — a slim camera at only 12.2mm.<br />
www.sony.com.ph<br />
Life Oil supplements<br />
{ 64 }<br />
Hugo Just Different<br />
scent by Hugo Boss<br />
Nivea Oil Control<br />
For Men<br />
Rudy Project<br />
Jazz eyewear<br />
Nokia N9
L’Oreal Color Riche<br />
Naturals lipstick<br />
The Body Shop<br />
Rainforest Moisture<br />
Hair Butter<br />
Beach Hut Sunblock<br />
with SPF 65<br />
The ultimate kikay kit<br />
Who wouldn’t want to get her hands on<br />
these? Get similar or complementary<br />
products from different brands, and<br />
she’ll be experimenting and admiring<br />
herself in the mirror in no time.<br />
Achieve a pretty and natural look by<br />
enhancing your best features. And it’ll<br />
only take a few minutes: Use L’Oréal<br />
Paris Open Eyes Pro eyeshadow in<br />
Beige Harmony (PHP875), a fl attering<br />
neutral palette; the water-proof Double<br />
Extension Curl Mascara (PHP845); the<br />
Base Magique primer (PHP945) for a<br />
smooth and even complexion; and a<br />
Color Riche Naturals lipstick (PHP625)<br />
for a pretty pout.<br />
Maybelline also offers a fussfree<br />
beauty routine. The BB Cream<br />
(PHP249) is a moisturizer, sunblock<br />
and foundation all in one, while the<br />
Eye Studio Lumineyes (PHP599) is an<br />
eyeshadow palette with an illuminating<br />
control primer for brighter eyes. Baby<br />
Lips (PHP79) work to moisturize and<br />
care for your lips with SPF 20.<br />
H OLIDAY GIFT GUIDE<br />
Maybelline Eye<br />
Studio Lumineyes<br />
If she loves the sun, add on Beach<br />
Hut’s Ultra-Sensitive Hypoallergenic<br />
Sunblock with SPF 65 for the face, and<br />
Max 100++ SPF Unbelievably Light<br />
Lotion Sunblock to shield her from<br />
harmful rays.<br />
The Body Shop has four extensive<br />
ranges great for women on the go. The<br />
Tea Tree range includes a facial wash,<br />
skin toner, clearing lotion and blemish<br />
night lotion to help clear up your skin<br />
and remove impurities. The Vitamin E<br />
range includes a facial wash, hydrating<br />
toner, moisture cream and nourishing<br />
night cream to soften and protect your<br />
skin. The Rainforest Balance Hair Care<br />
Kit includes a shampoo, conditioner,<br />
detangling comb, and Moisture Hair<br />
Butter to make your tresses healthy<br />
and shiny. www.thebodyshop.com.ph<br />
A feminine fragrance like Escada Taj<br />
Sunset — with its notes of Alphonso<br />
mango, nectarine, blood orange,<br />
watery blossom and raspberry —<br />
makes a nice fi nishing touch before<br />
{ 65 }<br />
Hygienix Hand Spray<br />
Maybelline BB Cream<br />
Escada Taj Sunset<br />
Maybelline Baby Lips<br />
a night out. PHP2,400 (30ml),<br />
PHP3,250 (50ml) and PHP4,300<br />
(100ml); available at leading<br />
department stores<br />
Stay clean and germ-free with<br />
the Hygienix Hand Care Line, which<br />
includes the Anti-bacterial Hand<br />
Spray (PHP25–39.50) and Hand Gel<br />
(PHP29–45) Fresh Defense.<br />
Then pamper tired feet with The<br />
Body Shop’s Peppermint Cooling Foot<br />
Spray. www.thebodyshop.com.ph
For the souvenir<br />
co lector<br />
Present them with knick-knacks and<br />
pieces to remember their travels by.<br />
Let them have their fi ll of<br />
personalized shirts and bags, mugs,<br />
caps, keychains and magnets from<br />
Islands Souvenirs. Designs feature<br />
popular destinations like Manila, Cebu,<br />
Palawan, Davao and Boracay, among<br />
others. www.islandssouvenirs.com<br />
Friends and family overseas can<br />
show their Pinoy pride with the My<br />
Philippines fl ag-inspired Sun & Star<br />
jacket (which is also a hit with tourists),<br />
T-shirts, bags and caps too. Available<br />
at SM department stores; tel: +63<br />
(922) 883 5020, www.mynational<br />
shirt.com<br />
Hello Lulu laptop case<br />
H OLIDAY GIFT GUIDE<br />
Reva fl ats<br />
{ 67 }<br />
My Philippines apparel<br />
For the stylish teen<br />
Bright colors and cute designs make<br />
these pieces sure winners.<br />
Let her have a pair (or two) of Reva<br />
fl ats in pastel shades, pretty stripes<br />
and fl oral patterns. She’ll fi nd it hard to<br />
choose! Available at department stores<br />
Hello Lulu’s 13-inch Jaime nylon<br />
laptop case doesn’t just have a padded<br />
compartment for your laptop — it<br />
also has zippered pockets, a soft-grip<br />
handle, and a matching shoulder strap<br />
and luggage handle. It’s available in<br />
four different colors too. Available at<br />
Rustans, The Travel Club, Bratpack,<br />
Tripologie, Powermac, Istudio, Ashop,<br />
Duty Free and Fashion Rack stores
Smile Magazine’s<br />
X’mas Food Special<br />
The new<br />
Noche Buena<br />
Call it a cooking coup — we gathered seven<br />
of Metro Manila , s finest chefs and asked them<br />
for a fresh take on the traditional Noche Buena<br />
spread. Suddenly, everything old is new again!<br />
Story by JJ Yulo. Photography by Kathy Chua<br />
{ 68 }
C HRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
{ 69 }<br />
Spice up your Christmas<br />
table with reinvented<br />
Pinoy staples.
C HRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
Chef Niño Laus’<br />
Rellenong Manok<br />
The head chef and owner of Ninyo honed his craft playing elf cook in various<br />
Japanese restaurants, and eventually to Chef Humphrey Navarro — thus<br />
developing his style of using Japanese, French and, yes, even Filipino infl uences<br />
in his cooking. His Rellenong Manok jumps off from his grandma’s original recipe.<br />
Try this twist Marinate the fowl in ponzu (a widely used Japanese sauce usually<br />
made from mirin, rice vinegar, seaweed, katsuboshi, citrus like yuzu or lemon,<br />
and some soy sauce), then stuff it with edamame, foie gras, quail eggs, Japanese<br />
ginger, Japanese corn, and pork marinated in dalandan miso. Top the dish with a<br />
sauce of white miso, leeks, sesame seeds and tapioca cooked in ponzu.<br />
Chef Niño Laus is the head chef at Ninyo Fusion Cuisine & Wine Lounge, 66 E.<br />
Abada St, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Tel: +63 (2) 426 0301<br />
{ 70 }
C HRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
Chef Rob Pengson’s<br />
Fish Con Mayonesa<br />
The ones who take a roundabout route before fi nally ending up in the kitchen often<br />
make the most interesting chefs — Chef Rob Pengson studied architecture, then<br />
dabbled in interior design, before deciding to cook. At The Goose Station, a restaurant<br />
he runs with wife Sunshine Puey-Pengson, he turns out some of the most innovative<br />
dishes in the city.<br />
Try this twist Steam a whole lapu-lapu; but instead of slathering it with mayonnaise<br />
(and covering it in stripes of festive garnish), jazz up the fi sh dish with a modern and<br />
clever twist. Sweep a layer of horse radish mayonnaise over the fi sh, then cover it up<br />
with thinly sliced pickled radish so that it looks like fi sh scales. Dot each “scale” with<br />
a pinch of caviar and serve with a side salad of seasonal greens.<br />
Chef Rob Pengson runs The Goose Station, Ground Floor, W Tower, 39th St, Fort<br />
Bonifacio, Taguig. Tel: +63 (2) 556 9068, www.thegoosestation.ph<br />
{ 72 }
CHRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
Marivic Diaz-Lim’s<br />
Glazed Smoked Jamon<br />
When Marivic Diaz-Lim’s restaurant, Apartment 1B, opened its doors, its menu of<br />
gourmet comfort food — think honey-glazed pork ribs, spaghetti and meatballs,<br />
big breakfast platters of egg, cheese and crisp bacon — became an instant hit with<br />
foodies. The Culinary Institute of America-trained chef is no stranger to jazzing up<br />
beloved dishes, so for Smile’s food special, she takes on the Christmas leg ham.<br />
Try this twist Buy a piece of frozen leg ham at your supermarket. To make the<br />
glaze, combine mango and pineapple purée, honey, brown coconut sugar, star<br />
anise, cinnamon stick and ginger juice in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir the<br />
glaze occasionally for 15 minutes or until it thickens, and brush it over the ham.<br />
Bake the ham for 10 minutes and add more glaze until it’s as golden as you want it.<br />
Chef Marivic Diaz-Lim runs Apartment 1B, One Lafayette Square, 132 LP Leviste<br />
St, Salcedo Village, Makati City. Tel: +63 (2) 843 4075<br />
{ 74 }
C HRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
Chef Sau del Rosario’s<br />
Pancit Luglug<br />
Chef Sau started cooking at age fi ve, when most of us were busy puttering about<br />
exploring our environs. And with a mom who happens to be an excellent cook, and<br />
a grandfather and father who are both chefs, this third-generation chef indeed has a<br />
strong foundation. Christmas was always a bit melancholic, though, with dad having<br />
to spend Noche Buena cooking in his restaurant — but his reward was always a<br />
whole lechon, which they all munched on even if it was late into the night.<br />
Try this twist For the humble but always delicious pancit luglug, he chose to<br />
deconstruct the elements and lighten it up to appeal to today’s more healthconscious<br />
eaters, believing that the old recipes must be introduced to a whole new<br />
age group who he hopes will also pass it on even further.<br />
Chef Sau owns and cooks at Villa Café, 7427 Glory Bldg, Yakal St, San Antonio<br />
Village, Makati City. Tel: +63 (2) 478 2659<br />
{ 76 }
C HRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
Chef Namee Jorolan’s<br />
Lechon Salad<br />
A native of Pampanga, Namee practically grew up in a restaurant (on the second<br />
fl oor, in fact) as the granddaughter of the founder of Everybody’s Café. No stranger<br />
to food (although she worked for many years in IT), she has eventually embraced<br />
her calling and now cooks with food culture entrepreneurs Pinoy Eats World.<br />
Try this twist Her task: to make the yummy, fatty and satisfying staple of the<br />
Christmas season a lighter treat. Once an intern at the legendary Chez Panisse,<br />
Namee learned to embrace all things fresh — and so her French and Californiainspired<br />
spin on lechon is to chop it into bits and toss it with bright spinach greens,<br />
tomatoes and onions, and toss it all with a sherry shallot vinaigrette — the perfect<br />
foil to all that rich roasted pig.<br />
Chef Namee Jorolan cooks at Everybody’s Café, del Pilar, MacArthur Highway,<br />
Pampanga. Tel: +63 (45) 860 1121<br />
{ 78 }
C HRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
Chef JJ Yulo’s<br />
Fruit Salad<br />
After a long stint in graphic design, I too decided to do something different and<br />
enter culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. It was<br />
the best year of my life, one that expanded my mind.<br />
Try this twist I’m all for reinventing, but fruit salad is just something that’s hard to<br />
touch. It’s a Pinoy classic: canned fruit cocktail, cream, condensed milk — the holy<br />
triumvirate of this Noche Buena staple. Just to keep the essence of it, I still used<br />
canned fruit cocktail (fresh fruits? Never!) and folded it in cream; but I too wanted to<br />
lighten things up a bit, so instead of condensed milk I folded in some plain yogurt<br />
and honey, and topped it with blueberries and candied sunfl ower seeds for that<br />
something extra.<br />
Chef JJ Yulo is a food blogger and entrepreneur behind Pinoy Eats World, a project<br />
that aims to bring Filipino cuisine to the global stage. www.pinoyeatsworld.com<br />
{ 80 }
C HRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
Chef Sunshine Puey-Pengson’s<br />
Napoleones<br />
Perhaps now known to many, this Ilonggo lass (who is one half of The Goose<br />
Station together with husband Rob) actually started her career as a pre-school<br />
teacher — a perfect choice, really, considering her (pardon me) sunny disposition.<br />
But such was not the path for her to stay on, so off she went to a succession of<br />
top culinary schools: from the Bay Area’s Tante Marie, to the Institute of Culinary<br />
Education, and fi nally to L’Ecole Ritz Escoffi er in Paris.<br />
Try this twist A localized version of a classic French mille feuille — puff pastry fi lled<br />
with custard — Napoleones is sinful, rich and delicious, and hers is no exception.<br />
Instead of custard cream, use native kasuy (cashew) and lace it with chocolate<br />
sauce made from tablea for that bittersweet edge.<br />
Chef Sunshine Puey-Pengson runs The Goose Station, Ground Floor, W Tower,<br />
39th St, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. Tel: +63 (2) 556 9068, www.thegoosestation.ph<br />
{ 82 }
Behind the scenes<br />
X’mas Food Special<br />
“I can’t forget one of my<br />
family’s grand reunions in<br />
Bacolod. There were adobo<br />
fl akes, lengua, adobo<br />
fl akes, chicken inasal,<br />
adobo fl akes, lechon,<br />
and lots of adobo fl akes.<br />
And lest I forget – we had<br />
plenty of adobo fl akes!”<br />
Lester Ledesma<br />
Photo Editor<br />
THE MORE COOKS, THE MERRIER!<br />
It took a village to put together Smile’s Christmas Food Special, proving<br />
that for Noche Buena, you can’t have too many cooks! Each one<br />
brought a fond holiday food memory to share at the table<br />
“After a feast of a<br />
Christmas dinner,<br />
some of us in the<br />
family would still have<br />
a post Noche Buena<br />
meal of all leftovers.<br />
And I would always<br />
eat the most!”<br />
Rob Pengson<br />
Chef<br />
Niño Laus<br />
Chef<br />
“My mom’s ‘Broken<br />
Glass’ Dessert<br />
made of gelatin and<br />
graham crackers.”<br />
{ 84 }<br />
“My lola’s dining table would groan under<br />
the weight of everything, from molo soup<br />
to Christmas ham and fresh corned beef to<br />
ensaymada and tsokolate. And my cousins<br />
and I would present our Christmas program<br />
extravaganza as everyone feasted away.”<br />
Tata Mapa<br />
Stylist<br />
Sunshine Pengson<br />
Chef<br />
“Going home after<br />
misa de gallo,<br />
opening gifts,<br />
and enjoying<br />
ensaymada<br />
and tablea hot<br />
chocolate.”
“As a kid, Christmas<br />
meant my lola’s<br />
lovingly made<br />
chicken galantina<br />
that I only got to eat<br />
once a year.”<br />
JJ Yulo<br />
Writer/<br />
Chef<br />
“I was never a fan of the<br />
traditional way of serving the<br />
Noche Buena lechon, but I<br />
loved how my mom would<br />
turn the suckling pig into<br />
paksiw na lechon (lechon<br />
recooked in vinegar and<br />
bay leaves) the day after<br />
Christmas. My mouth still<br />
waters at the thought of it.”<br />
Marie Calica<br />
Makeup Artist<br />
“Our morcon made<br />
with chorizo, duck<br />
eggs and queso! It’s<br />
so rich and tasty that<br />
I would eat it like<br />
cheese in between<br />
slices of bread. It’s<br />
the best sandwich in<br />
the world!”<br />
Namee Jorolan<br />
Chef<br />
C HRISTMAS FOOD SPECIAL<br />
“I always look forward<br />
to receiving My Auntie<br />
Baby’s Queso de Italia<br />
every Christmas.<br />
It is a baked cheese<br />
pudding made of<br />
homemade smoked ham,<br />
green olives, queso de<br />
bola and special bread.<br />
It’s special because she<br />
only makes it during the<br />
Christmas season.”<br />
Marivic Diaz Lim<br />
Chef<br />
{ 85 }<br />
“When my lolo was still<br />
alive, he would pile up food<br />
on my plate and would tell<br />
me I couldn’t open my gifts if<br />
I didn’t fi nish my food.”<br />
Jerome Orpiano<br />
Assistant Chef<br />
“I remember growing up in<br />
Pampanga surrounded by<br />
great cooks like my mom<br />
and aunts and uncles. The<br />
women paddled kalamays<br />
or rice cakes while the men<br />
butchered pigs for lechon.<br />
Those days were beautiful<br />
and signifi cant for me.”<br />
Sau del Rosario<br />
Chef<br />
“Defi nitely Quiampong<br />
(Chinese stuffed chicken).<br />
Maybe it was because<br />
chestnuts are widely available<br />
during this season that my<br />
aunt would treat us all to this<br />
dish. I’ve learned how to make<br />
it eventually.”<br />
Kathy Chua<br />
Photographer
R ECONNECT WITH YOUR ROOTS<br />
Love<br />
your own<br />
How Filipino are you? Maya O. Calica suggests six<br />
enjoyable ways to get smitten with your heritage.<br />
Illustrations by Rommel Joson<br />
{ 87 }
We can revive early<br />
Pinoy melodies with<br />
instruments like the<br />
katyapi, dayuday<br />
and pulala.<br />
IN OLDEN TIMES, women would weave<br />
fabrics by hand, in a circle, while making<br />
conversation. This is how most traditions<br />
are made and passed on — by sharing<br />
stories. Times have changed and more<br />
effort has to be made to stay in touch<br />
with our own culture, but there’s no time<br />
like the present to learn something of the<br />
past — here’s what you might want to<br />
pick up, and where to do it.<br />
1<br />
Make music<br />
with ancient<br />
instruments<br />
Filipinos may be familiar with the<br />
kundiman and the harana, love songs<br />
strummed on a guitar for a fair maiden.<br />
But what about the ancient katyapi<br />
(lute), dayuday (fi ddle) and pulala (lip<br />
valley fl ute)? These are what musician<br />
Waway Linsahay Saway uses to create<br />
his music. “Playing these musical<br />
instruments is the key for us Filipinos<br />
to understand our heritage,” explains<br />
the artist based in Tulugan-Songco<br />
Lantapan, Bukidnon. Waway has<br />
recorded six albums to date, and has<br />
incorporated the use of the katyapi,<br />
dayuday and pulala, as well as the<br />
organic sounds of nature, in his work.<br />
His album, Kulahi hu Bugta (Musicry of<br />
the Land), also features the sounds of<br />
chickens and insects.<br />
“Playing these early instruments<br />
mean heroism and nationalism, because<br />
it is the root of Philippine sound,” says<br />
Waway. Being true to his roots has<br />
made him stand out both locally and<br />
internationally: his songs have been<br />
used in several fi lms, such as the<br />
{ 88 }<br />
Cinemalaya 2010 entry Limbunan by<br />
Moro fi lmmaker Teng Mangansakan.<br />
Next March, the musician will<br />
collaborate with fellow artists Grace<br />
Nono and Bob Aves at the Penang<br />
World Music Festival.<br />
How to do it Waway doesn’t offer<br />
formal classes, but gives lessons on<br />
how to make and play these ancient<br />
instruments in his village in Bukidnon,<br />
an hour’s drive from Cagayan de Oro<br />
(CDO). You can also check out his<br />
instructional videos on how to play<br />
the katyapi on YouTube, or order his<br />
music videos. Tel: +63 (927) 440 6748,<br />
wawayska@yahoo.com<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to CDO from Manila,<br />
Cebu and Davao. www.cebupacifi cair.com
2<br />
Fight, Pinoy-style<br />
“Arnis is now our national sport<br />
and martial art as per Republic<br />
Act number 9850,” says Senior Master<br />
Samuel Bambit Dulay, Chief Instructor<br />
of the International Modern Arnis<br />
Federation Philippines (IMAFP). Also<br />
referred to as “kali” or “escrima,” the<br />
term “arnis” comes from the Tagalog<br />
corruption of the Spanish “arnes” or<br />
harness, which refers to decorations<br />
worn by Filipinos in early times. The<br />
sport involves the use of sticks, a dagger<br />
and even a bolo (long blade). There are<br />
also forms of arnis that don’t require<br />
weaponry, but involve lots of kicking,<br />
striking, throwing, locking and chocking<br />
techniques to subdue the opponent.<br />
“The criss-cross movement or<br />
sinawali technique using double sticks<br />
R ECONNECT WITH YOUR ROOTS<br />
isn’t found in any other form of martial<br />
art,” says Master Dulay, adding that the<br />
values behind the practice — “godliness,<br />
family bonding and respect for elders”<br />
— resonate with the Philippine spirit.<br />
The mental alertness from avoiding<br />
sticks coming at you and the super-fi t<br />
body are just bonuses.<br />
{ 89 }<br />
How to do it Learn the basics of arnis at<br />
Planet Infi nity, where they offer courses<br />
in arnis. Tel: +63 (2) 376 6919, 4/F<br />
Crossroad 77, Mother Ignacia Ave cor<br />
Scout Reyes St, Quezon City<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Manila from across<br />
the network. www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
Learn the truly Pinoy<br />
martial art of arnis.
Having hot tsokolate<br />
is like celebrating<br />
Christmas in a cup.<br />
3<br />
Create the perfect<br />
hot tsokolate<br />
Thick and sweet hot tsokolate<br />
always tastes best after hearing simbang<br />
gabi (dawn mass) on a cool December<br />
morning. “My earliest memory of<br />
sipping native hot tsokolate was at my<br />
lola’s house in Pampanga, where our<br />
family is from,” says Mariel Chua, a<br />
New York-based Filipina copywriter/<br />
proofreader who also blogs about her<br />
chocolate passion on Allmysugar.com.<br />
R ECONNECT WITH YOUR ROOTS<br />
For a truly authentic native<br />
tsokolate, swirl the simmering liquid<br />
using the batirol — a wooden stirrer<br />
that looks just like a honey dipper<br />
“The recipe was<br />
unique because it<br />
had peanut butter,<br />
the local kind with<br />
oil on top. Imagine<br />
liquefi ed Choc-nut<br />
candy, but richer<br />
and creamier.”<br />
The secret ingredient? The tablea or the<br />
native cacao tablets used to make it.<br />
How to do it Try Mariel’s family recipe: in<br />
a saucepan, heat milk over a slow fi re.<br />
For every piece of tablea tsokolate used,<br />
mix in an additional cup of milk. Next,<br />
add peanut butter by the teaspoonful.<br />
“For a truly authentic native tsokolate,<br />
swirl the simmering liquid using the<br />
batirol — a wooden stirrer that looks<br />
just like a honey dipper.” You can try<br />
{ 90 }<br />
other “versions” at Tita Lynn’s Flavored<br />
Suman (www.titalynnsfl avoredsuman.<br />
com) in Tiendesitas, Pasig City, and<br />
Dulcinea in Power Plant Mall, Robinsons<br />
Galleria and SM Mall of Asia.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Manila from across<br />
the network. www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
4<br />
Heal like a<br />
babaylan<br />
Before the Philippines was<br />
colonized, early Filipinos didn’t rely<br />
on doctors but on the babaylan — a<br />
religious leader who functioned as a<br />
shaman, healer and all-around miracle<br />
worker to the sick. A few years ago,<br />
healer/writer Pi Villaraza discovered<br />
Inner Dance, a movement rooted in the<br />
ancient wisdom of the babaylan, which<br />
helped clear his system of physical and<br />
emotional blockages.<br />
“Inner Dance is an intuitive healing<br />
practice known to ancient cultures<br />
around the world, including that of the<br />
ancient shamans of the Philippines<br />
who could access expanded states of<br />
consciousness to heal, awaken and<br />
commune with nature,” says Pi. He<br />
has been sharing this powerful healing<br />
method since 2007. “There have<br />
been many healings around the world<br />
from physical disorders like tumors,<br />
back problems, digestive disorders,<br />
migraines and many other things.” Pi<br />
has since written about Inner Dance in<br />
his <strong>2011</strong> book, Conscious Trance: The<br />
Journey to the Dancer Within.<br />
This gentle method is done in a<br />
group setting, with a facilitator (such<br />
as Pi) coaching the participants while<br />
soft music plays. The intention is to fi x<br />
imbalances in the body and spirit for<br />
better health and state of mind.<br />
How to do it Sign up for a fi ve-day Inner<br />
Dance and Raw Food Detox Retreat at<br />
Bahay Kalipay in Puerto Princesa City,<br />
Palawan (www.bahaykalipay.com).<br />
There are also Inner Dance teaching<br />
practitioners in the US and some cities<br />
in Asia.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Puerto Princesa from<br />
Cebu and Manila. www.cebupacifi cair.com
5<br />
Learn about the<br />
Mangyan culture<br />
Indigenous Filipino cultures,<br />
such as the Mangyan tribe in Mindoro,<br />
are in danger of vanishing. Thankfully,<br />
we have the Mangyan Heritage Center<br />
(MHC) — a library archive, research<br />
and education center in Calapan City,<br />
Mindoro that was made possible<br />
through the efforts of Antoon Postma, a<br />
missionary priest; Father Ewald Dinter,<br />
SVD, head of the Mangyan Mission;<br />
and Quint Fansler, a former Jesuit<br />
volunteer assigned to Oriental Mindoro.<br />
Although visits to the Mangyan<br />
communities require their consent and<br />
walk-in visits are not encouraged, MHC<br />
still offers a wealth of information to<br />
satisfy your desire for knowledge.<br />
How to do it You can learn the<br />
ambahan, or traditional poetry that is<br />
usually written on bamboo in ancient<br />
Surat Mangyan. They can teach you<br />
how to write your name in Mangyan<br />
as well.<br />
MHC also has a photo and artifact<br />
exhibit, The Mangyans of Mindoro:<br />
Myth and Meaning, that travels around<br />
the country. It features traditional cotton<br />
spinning and weaving demos, as well<br />
as beaded bracelet-making workshops<br />
and writing exercises in the Hanunuo-<br />
Mangyan script. Bishop Finnemann<br />
Compound Calero, Calapan City,<br />
Oriental Mindoro, www.mangyan.org<br />
From Manila, drive or take a two-hour bus<br />
ride to the Batangas port. Take a ferry to<br />
Calapan (an hour by Fastcraft, two hours<br />
by Roro vessel), and then a 10-minute<br />
tricycle ride to the MHC offi ce.<br />
6<br />
Relax your body<br />
with hilot<br />
Hilot, an age-old healing<br />
tradition that involves deep-tissue<br />
R ECONNECT WITH YOUR ROOTS<br />
massage and a heavy dose of intuition,<br />
is believed to be as old as the island’s<br />
earliest inhabitants. “It varies depending<br />
on the region and clan, but it is usually<br />
a part of traditional folk medicine<br />
practiced in rural areas where economic<br />
constraints are palpable,” says Richell<br />
Grace Sañez, lead trainer and spa<br />
operations manager of Mandala Spa<br />
and Villas in Boracay.<br />
In hilot, the diagnosis of a disease<br />
and the healing process are highly<br />
spiritual. “Common to healers is the<br />
fervent religiosity that guides them<br />
in their practice, which is profusely<br />
{ 92 }<br />
infused with prayers that are whispered<br />
(bulong) or written (orasyon),” explains<br />
Richell. “In spas, hilot is commonly<br />
used to relax tired muscles and release<br />
blockages from the energy pathways.”<br />
How to do it You may need to seek out<br />
a manghihilot in a rural town — or you<br />
can fl y to Boracay for Mandala Spa’s<br />
award-winning Hilot Trilogy (www.<br />
mandalaspa.com).<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Caticlan from Cebu<br />
and Manila, and to Kalibo from Manila.<br />
www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
Traditional Mangyan<br />
poetry is usually<br />
written on bamboo<br />
in ancient Surat<br />
Mangyan script.
Cool getaways<br />
As temperatures drop to cool lows throughout the<br />
region, Lester Ledesma tracks the perfect spots to<br />
bundle up, chill out and get cozy this Christmas<br />
DECEMBER is when the weather cools<br />
down in this part of the globe, the nippy<br />
winds putting an end to long stretches<br />
of warm tropical nights. We say this is<br />
the perfect time to pack our bags and<br />
{ 94 }<br />
head up to the mountains and feel<br />
the chill. We’ve rounded up highland<br />
destinations across the Cebu Pacifi c<br />
network for quick and cool getaways<br />
perfect for the Christmas holidays.
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES<br />
C OZY CHRISTMAS<br />
{ 95 }<br />
Cameron Highlands in Malaysia is famous<br />
for its rolling hills and tea plantations.<br />
Take your time<br />
exploring the many<br />
attractions of these<br />
leisurely destinations
Clockwise: Farmers pick tea leaves<br />
every morning at plantations in Cameron<br />
Highlands; sit down to English high tea with<br />
scones at the Smokehouse Restaurant; stay<br />
in one of the mock Tudor-style bungalows.<br />
Cameron Highlands,<br />
Malaysia<br />
Ye Olde English Town<br />
There’s no better place to have a steaming cuppa than here.<br />
The Cameron Highlands is Malaysia’s quintessential teagrowing<br />
region, thanks to its long history of cultivation here<br />
by the British. In fact, this is the most Brit-fl avored of all the<br />
country’s colonial towns, its mock Tudor-style bungalows<br />
looking strangely at home against the backdrop of rolling<br />
fi elds and tropical jungles.<br />
If the sweet weather and the misty slopes haven’t<br />
convinced you yet, this hill station is all about taking it slow.<br />
Savor an old-school English high tea with a serving of scones<br />
at the Smokehouse Restaurant, before setting off on a scenic<br />
drive along the main road. It won’t be long before you come<br />
across one of the region’s many sprawling farms. Do stop by<br />
for a visit — we recommend the Boh Tea Plantation and the<br />
Big Red Strawberry Farm in the Brinchang district — and<br />
soon enough you’ll be happily picking leaves and berries.<br />
Another steaming cuppa beckons (you can fi nd it<br />
everywhere in these parts), and then it’s onward to the<br />
nearby produce market, or fl ower nursery, or the local<br />
butterfl y gardens. Whatever else you decide to check out,<br />
rest assured you’ll be doing it at a leisurely pace. Kuala<br />
Lumpur may be fi ve hours by road from here, but this<br />
mountaintop hideout is truly a world away.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Kuala Lumpur from Manila.<br />
www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
{ 96 }
PHOTOS INMAGINE (CAMERON HIGHLANDS), GETTY IMAGES (MOUNT KOYA)<br />
The Oku-no-in cemetery with<br />
its ancient tombstones.<br />
Below: The Garan temple<br />
complex is one of the most<br />
important worship sites in<br />
Shingon Buddhism.<br />
C OZY CHRISTMAS<br />
{ 97 }<br />
Mount Koya, Japan<br />
Scenic and spiritual<br />
Located in the mountain ranges of Honshu, Koyasan isn’t<br />
quite within Christmas country but its charms are well worth<br />
its unlikely location. In fact, this is more of a Buddhist retreat,<br />
its slopes regarded as sacred by Japan’s Shingon Buddhists.<br />
A 1.5-hour train ride from Osaka takes you to the foot of the<br />
mountain, where a cable car whisks visitors 800m up to the<br />
top. Yes, the hillside views along the way are truly stunning.<br />
Thanks to a constant stream of pilgrims, Mount Koya<br />
possesses a distinctively spiritual vibe. Devotees usually head<br />
for the Garan and Kongobuji temples, which are the sect’s<br />
most important worship houses. Then there’s the atmospheric<br />
Oku-no-in cemetery, where ancient tombstones sit amongst<br />
a forest of centuries-old trees. When dusk arrives, this turns<br />
into a magical locale, the thick evening fog casting a moody<br />
blanket over the entire area. Nature enthusiasts, on the other<br />
hand, can choose to trek the countless forest trails.<br />
With surroundings like these, one can spend days simply<br />
admiring this UNESCO World Heritage Site. This cultural gem<br />
is best savored with an overnight stay at the local shukubo —<br />
temple lodges that offer glimpses into the lifestyle of Shingon<br />
Buddhist monks.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Osaka from Manila. www.cebupacifi cair.com
Alishan, Taiwan<br />
C OZY CHRISTMAS<br />
The railway to heaven<br />
Tucked within central Taiwan is a highland region so scenic<br />
they had to give it an offi cial title. The Alishan National<br />
Scenic Area was once a logging enclave before the<br />
Taiwanese decided to keep it for posterity. Today its forest of<br />
massive cypress trees provide a dramatic setting for one of<br />
Taiwan’s best mountain hideaways.<br />
It also has a ride that few other montane destinations can<br />
boast of. Alishan’s alpine railway is one of three remaining<br />
in the world, its tracks spanning 86km of largely vertical<br />
terrain. Although parts of it have been closed due to typhoon<br />
damage in 2009, its most scenic stretch has remained<br />
thankfully open. Spend the night at the Alishan village proper<br />
(it’s a winding uphill drive from Chiayi City, on Taiwan’s west<br />
coast), then board the train before dawn to take the winding,<br />
6km journey to an observation platform, some 3,000ft up.<br />
(TOP)<br />
Here, amidst the deep blue sky and chilly morning weather,<br />
one can watch the sun rise gloriously over a sea of clouds.<br />
Your spirits still singing from the gorgeous light show, head<br />
INMAGINE<br />
back to the village for a quick breakfast and a stroll through<br />
the surrounding forest. Alishan’s trails are paved and well<br />
DEDESMA,<br />
marked, making them ideal for easy, quiet walks. If you’re<br />
looking for a different way to greet New Year’s Day, this is the<br />
LESTER<br />
place to do it.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Taipei from Manila. www.cebupacifi cair.com PHOTOS<br />
{ 98 }<br />
The alpine railway passes by<br />
Alishan’s most scenic routes.<br />
Below: The Alishan village<br />
proper, where you can also<br />
shop for fresh food.
Malaybalay, Philippines<br />
The hidden highlands<br />
Cool winds, pine trees and native tribes — and not a tourist in<br />
sight. The southern city of Malaybalay isn’t the fi rst destination<br />
that comes to mind when one thinks of a highland holiday in<br />
the Philippines. Yet this is precisely the reason why we should<br />
head here. Located right at the heart of Mindanao, the sleepy<br />
capital of Bukidnon Province offers that rare opportunity to<br />
escape the maddening Christmas crowds.<br />
Getting here isn’t so straightforward, but the traveling is<br />
scenic. From the airport at neighboring Cagayan de Oro, one<br />
needs to drive about 100km south on a countryside highway<br />
that rolls past farms and endless pineapple fi elds.<br />
Malaybalay’s attractions range from the spiritual to the<br />
sporty. Start off with a visit to the picturesque Monastery of<br />
the Transfi guration, then move on to the village of Lantapan<br />
to meet a local community of tribal artists. If you’re up for<br />
something more robust, there’s also an 840m zipline at the<br />
Dahilayan Adventure Park. Sightseeing aside, perhaps the<br />
most appropriate activity here would be a slow saunter down<br />
the Kaamulan Park (it’s right behind City Hall), with its pine<br />
forest and early morning fog.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Cagayan de Oro from Manila, Cebu and<br />
Davao. www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
C OZY CHRISTMAS<br />
{ 100 }<br />
From top: The road to Malaybalay from<br />
Cagayan de Oro is surrounded by farms<br />
and fi elds; Lantapan is also known for<br />
its artistry; the pyramid-like Monastery<br />
of the Transfi guration.<br />
PHOTOS BOBBY TIMONERA
Bandung, Indonesia<br />
Colonial charm<br />
Nestled in the mountains near Jakarta is a city with<br />
attractions worthy of a diehard culture vulture’s attention.<br />
Bandung began life as classy hill station, thanks to the Dutch<br />
who established mountain resorts and coffee plantations<br />
on these slopes. Today it is a bustling center for education<br />
in West Java, its tree-lined boulevards and fl ower gardens<br />
catering to over 27 major universities.<br />
Bandung’s tourist draw is in the remnants of its colonial<br />
past — get a good taste of this by sauntering down Jalan<br />
Braga, right at the heart of downtown. This Dutch-era shopping<br />
district boasts an old-world feel, thanks to its many art-deco<br />
buildings dating back to pre-independensi days. Check out the<br />
nicely restored Savoy-Homann Hotel at the street’s southern<br />
end, then have a cup of hot java at the nearby Kopi Paberik<br />
Aroma. So old-school is this café that its signs are still written<br />
in Dutch, and its interiors have remained largely unchanged<br />
for decades. A glimpse of classic Javanese culture awaits<br />
next at the Rumentang Siang Theatre, which hosts traditional<br />
jaipongan dance and wayang golek puppetry performances.<br />
Those wishing to get away from urban environs, on the other<br />
hand, would do well to visit the Tangkuban Perahu volcano,<br />
just off the city’s north side.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Jakarta from Manila. www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
C OZY CHRISTMAS<br />
Clockwise from top left: The old and<br />
the new come together at Jalan<br />
Braga shopping district; Jalan Braga<br />
features restored and art-deco<br />
architecture; trek to the Tangkuban<br />
Perahu volcano.<br />
{ 102 }<br />
PHOTOS EDGAR ALAN ZETA YAP
{ 106 }<br />
PHOTO WALTER VILLA
Manila<br />
C HRISTMAS LIGHTS<br />
When it<br />
sparkles<br />
Catch these spectacular once-a-year-only<br />
light and sound shows that add glitz and<br />
glitter to Manila , s holiday season<br />
{ 107 }
The parol row<br />
Gilmore Avenue, San Juan<br />
The Philippines is known for the high craftsmanship of<br />
its Christmas lanterns, and all the best of these holiday<br />
decorations can be found in the stalls that spring up — just<br />
for the holidays — along Quezon City’s Gilmore Road and<br />
Granada Street. Find these bursts of luminescent lanterns<br />
elsewhere in the metropolis, such as Makati City.<br />
{ 108 }
PHOTOS LESTER LEDESMA, ESTAN CABIGAS, WALTER VILLA<br />
C HRISTMAS LIGHTS<br />
Spectacular Spectrum<br />
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City<br />
Every year, the spruced up Ayala Triangle Gardens, right smack in the<br />
middle of the Makati Central District, is decked in thousands of Christmas<br />
lights that glow, twinkle, dim and sparkle to the rhythm of a piped-in<br />
symphony. The event, an early evening after-offi ce hours treat, runs until<br />
December 30. The light show starts at 6pm, running at one-hour intervals<br />
all the way to 9pm. Tel: +63 (2) 908 3507<br />
{ 109 }
Music and fireworks<br />
C HRISTMAS LIGHTS<br />
SM Mall of Asia, Manila<br />
Start a new family tradition — mark the end of <strong>2011</strong> (and the beginning of 2012)<br />
with a stunning Pyromusical show at SM By The Bay, behind SM Mall of Asia.<br />
Accompanied by music, the fi reworks display is held every Friday and Saturday<br />
at 7pm, and lasts for about fi ve minutes. Visit the mall’s website for updates and<br />
schedules on the annual World Pyro Olympics, an international fi reworks display<br />
competition among different countries. smmallofasia.com<br />
{ 110 }<br />
PHOTO FERDZ DECENA
C HRISTMAS LIGHTS<br />
The Lantern Parade<br />
University of the Philippines,<br />
Diliman, Quezon City<br />
The annual Lantern Parade is a long-running university<br />
tradition that has lately become a local tourist event —<br />
each college of the University of the Philippines designs<br />
and creates a larger-than-life lantern that all go on parade.<br />
Lanterns are judged according to creativity and make, and<br />
the winning college walks away with pride and prestige. Held<br />
on the last day of classes before the school takes a break for<br />
the holidays (this year it’s December 16), this annual event is<br />
a showcase of artistic imagination come to life.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Manila from across the network.<br />
www.cebupacfi cair.com<br />
{ 112 }<br />
PHOTOS PAUL XYMON GARCIA
C EBU IN THE SPOTLIGHT<br />
ART DIRECTOR ADI EFFENDY. PHOTO EDITOR LESTER LEDESMA. STYLIST DONNA CUNA PITA. HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST MARIE CALICA.<br />
MODELS DARLEEN HOPKIRK/IM AGENCY AND ADAM SANTIAGO. ON HER PRINTED HALTER DRESS BY FAITH, HOPE & LOVE AT CROSSINGS DEPARTMENT STORE.<br />
SPECIAL THANKS TO RADISSON BLU HOTEL IN CEBU, TREENA CUEVA TECSON AND MINA GERVACIO, AND JUDE BACALSO.<br />
{ 114 }
Bright<br />
lights,<br />
big city<br />
Smile visits Cebu City to bask in its<br />
new cosmopolitan glow. Story by Tara<br />
FT Sering with Jude Bacalso. Photos by<br />
Caroline Schmidt and Nicolai Svane/<br />
danishconnection.com<br />
THE VIEW from a corner suite at the<br />
Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu offers a<br />
panoramic sweep of the southern city:<br />
the international port, at one point<br />
the lifeblood of the local economy;<br />
the channel that divides the mainland<br />
from Mactan Island, home of the city’s<br />
international airport; and the two<br />
bridges — one old, another new — that<br />
connect both land masses.<br />
Cebu City has always kept in step<br />
with most urban capitals, but perhaps<br />
more than any other in the Philippines,<br />
it’s a city whose biggest draw is in the<br />
graceful manner it keeps to the old and<br />
reaches for what’s modern. These are<br />
the two ways you can experience the<br />
city — as the cultural destination it has<br />
always presented itself in the past (it is,<br />
after all, the country’s early Spanishtime<br />
capital) with trips to historical<br />
landmarks, centuries-old churches and<br />
other heritage sites; or as a vibrant and<br />
dynamic city, blessed with a range of<br />
nearby beaches, with an interesting<br />
and changing way of life.<br />
{ 115 }
For starters, the changing professional<br />
landscape has turned the once<br />
sleepy urban center to an all-day,<br />
all-night, “open 24 hours” city ready<br />
to accommodate more diversifi ed<br />
lifestyles — including those of a growing<br />
population of call center employees,<br />
multinational expats, and foreign buyers<br />
who breeze in and out of town for Cebu’s<br />
design and manufacturing industries.<br />
Where once shops and malls would bar<br />
its glass doors shut shortly after twilight,<br />
and later at seven in the evening, the<br />
city is now constantly abuzz with all<br />
kinds of activities.<br />
It has become the kind of city that’s<br />
the end point in itself rather than a<br />
launching pad to better pastures. One of<br />
the local entrepreneurs, Joel Binamira,<br />
offers further insight: Cebu has always<br />
been the educational hub of the<br />
Visayas and Mindanao, with students<br />
fl ocking to its large universities who<br />
then seek employment in either Metro<br />
Manila or abroad. “Now, however, they<br />
can stay here,” Joel explains. “They<br />
can be employed in Cebu.”<br />
A stronger workforce often translates<br />
C EBU IN THE SPOTLIGHT<br />
to a robust local economy, and in recent<br />
years the most obvious telltale sign<br />
of growth has been the Asiatown IT<br />
Park, a mixed-use business complex<br />
that houses, among others, several<br />
multinational call centers.<br />
{ 116 }<br />
But the more subtle aspects of<br />
Cebu’s new cosmopolitan fl avor are<br />
the most interesting; underneath the<br />
deliberate shiny new packaging are all<br />
the things Cebu has come to be known<br />
and loved for.<br />
From top:<br />
The New<br />
Bridge spans<br />
the Mactan<br />
Channel,<br />
connecting<br />
Mactan Island<br />
to the mainland;<br />
Joel Binamira<br />
works the<br />
roasting pit<br />
of Zubuchon<br />
lechon, one of<br />
the city’s best.
In the case of Joel Binamira’s<br />
Zubuchon, this is quite literal. As<br />
proprietor of the brand, the former<br />
Boston-based strategy consultant has<br />
repackaged Cebu’s iconic lechon, hailed<br />
by Anthony Bourdain as the world’s<br />
best roast pork, into a neater, more<br />
presentable version of itself. It was<br />
Joel’s experiments with roasting that<br />
have compelled the likes of Bourdain<br />
to come knocking, and inspired the<br />
real estate developer to venture into<br />
C EBU IN THE SPOTLIGHT<br />
the food business. Zubuchon serves<br />
lechon cooked as closely as possible<br />
to the traditional Cebuano way of<br />
making lechon — whole pig with the<br />
skin punctured (to make it crackle)<br />
and drained of blood, skewered on a<br />
bamboo pole, stuffed with lemongrass<br />
and natural sea salt, and slowly turned<br />
to roast over hot coal for hours.<br />
“We’re adding an international fl air to<br />
a traditional icon,” adds Joel. “Like the<br />
rest of Cebu, we’re putting on our game<br />
{ 118 }<br />
From top: Zubuchon’s lechon comes highly<br />
recommended by TV chef Anthony Bourdain;<br />
island hopping becomes a special experience<br />
with Islands Banca Cruises.<br />
faces to meet the world that’s coming<br />
to us by using high quality ingredients,<br />
no short cuts, and implementing high<br />
standards in terms of sanitation.” We<br />
gorged on a variety of lechon dishes<br />
that included the must-try Lechon with<br />
Truffl e Oil, and capped our lunch with<br />
sweetened sticky rice called biko.<br />
It’s the same principle behind The<br />
Islands Group’s Banca Cruises. The<br />
company best known for its souvenir<br />
T-shirts, Islands Souvenirs, has taken<br />
on a favorite tourist pastime in Cebu,<br />
island hopping, and given it a luxe<br />
appeal. Andrea Lugue of The Islands<br />
Group tells us, “Island hopping has<br />
always been one of Cebu’s selling<br />
points, so the company decided to raise<br />
the bar in terms of boats and services.”<br />
Founded by travel buff and Cebu<br />
local Jay Aldeguer, the company’s<br />
cruise boats include customized<br />
traditional outriggers with extended<br />
decks, and come fully fi tted with<br />
speakers, cushioned seats, beanbags,<br />
and coolers for wines and spirits. This is<br />
perhaps the best way to fall in love with<br />
Cebu again, on a sunset chillout cruise<br />
along the Mactan channel, making<br />
wishes as you glide gently under<br />
two bridges.
Movers, shakers,<br />
tastemakers<br />
It’s easy to see that, apart from<br />
the infrastructure that charms<br />
conglomerates into setting up shop<br />
in Cebu City, it’s the locals who are<br />
driving the palpable shift in lifestyle<br />
— little pockets of upgrade fueled by<br />
big passions.<br />
It helps that the shared worldview<br />
is outward-looking and expansive;<br />
Cebuanos are eager to share aspects of<br />
their homegrown culture to the world,<br />
and are just as enthusiastic about<br />
bringing back bits and pieces of outside<br />
infl uence for their own enjoyment.<br />
C EBU IN THE SPOTLIGHT<br />
At The Tinder Box, for instance, a<br />
local wine and cigar bar chain that<br />
found root and great success in Cebu,<br />
a wide and sophisticated selection<br />
of wines and spirits, plus imported<br />
cigars, are displayed in interiors that<br />
show touches of Cebuano design, most<br />
notably by Kenneth Cobonpue, one<br />
of the city’s favorite sons and perhaps<br />
its most famous lifestyle and design<br />
proponent. The upstairs nightspot, Z<br />
Bar, sports an even bigger display of<br />
Kenneth’s work, a massive and fl uidform<br />
installation of intricate metalwork.<br />
Taking the dress code a notch or<br />
two down is Formo, a casual bar and<br />
{ 120 }<br />
Clockwise: Abaseria Deli and Café is popular<br />
for selling accessories on display as well<br />
as various regional cuisines; watering hole<br />
Formo’s busy night scene; The Tinder Box<br />
wine and cigar bar is decorated with Kenneth<br />
Cobonpue pieces.<br />
restaurant that, six years after opening,<br />
is still the watering hole of choice of<br />
the working-age crowd. Weekends fi nd<br />
the DJ-music-fueled lounge especially<br />
packed.<br />
Elsewhere in the city, Lala Jurado<br />
Lava, an accessories exporter, runs<br />
a second venture, Abaseria Deli and<br />
Café, as a stress outlet from her main<br />
line of business. Abaseria’s menu — a<br />
combination of Visayan classics as well<br />
as iconic dishes from different regional<br />
cuisines in the country — boasts a<br />
following that included the late former<br />
president Cory Aquino.<br />
To a large extent, Abaseria, Spanish<br />
for “sari-sari store,” lives up to its name.<br />
There are shelves of goodies on sale —<br />
from accessories to bottled food — as<br />
well as artwork on the walls that all<br />
come with price tags.
In similar fashion does Steve Aznar<br />
draw from his travels around South-<br />
East Asia, as well as from an ongoing<br />
20-year stint as a sommelier in New<br />
York City. Personal circumstances have<br />
kept Steve in Cebu for the past two<br />
years, time he spent touring South-<br />
East Asia and setting up Café Elysa,<br />
a restaurant and informal art gallery<br />
named after his mother, Ely Sanson.<br />
Café Elysa is tucked into one of those<br />
urban residential streets in the city’s<br />
oldest quarter called Pari-an, literally a<br />
stone’s throw away from Ed Castrillo’s<br />
massive bronze monument that depicts<br />
centuries of Cebuano history. Any given<br />
night might fi nd Steve at the café, dry<br />
martini (with three olives) in hand,<br />
whiling away the evening and talking<br />
shop with his diminutive and spritely<br />
business partner, Joy Uy.<br />
He has just completed work on the<br />
second fl oor extension of the café,<br />
largely to accommodate an upcoming<br />
international Rotary convention, and<br />
what promises to be an onslaught of<br />
hungry guests in January during the<br />
annual Sinulog Festival.<br />
This international palate is also<br />
evident in The Abaca Group’s A Café,<br />
which serves continental comfort<br />
food. The bright and airy café that<br />
opened in March this year smacks of<br />
an Australian bistro, thanks perhaps to<br />
Wade Watson, the café’s fast-talking<br />
Australian chef who also developed<br />
the menu for a sister restaurant, Maya,<br />
which in turn serves international<br />
Mexican cuisine.<br />
“Cebu didn’t use to have a big brunch<br />
culture,” observes one local. “But<br />
A Café is one of those places that’s<br />
tweaking our morning habits, giving us<br />
a place to take it slow and easy in the<br />
morning over great meals.”<br />
C EBU IN THE SPOTLIGHT<br />
{ 122 }<br />
From top: A Café executive chef Wade<br />
Watson with a serving of A Café’s specialty<br />
all-day brunch dishes; The Turkey Cobb<br />
Salad; the 8-Ounce Café Angus Burger; Café<br />
Elysa’s travel-inspired savory dishes.<br />
DO YOU<br />
NEED A RIDE?<br />
Cebu City is fairly easy to<br />
navigate, but to get the most<br />
mileage out of your trip, tour<br />
Cebu with Cebu Trip Rent-a-<br />
Car, a hassle-free and reliable<br />
car and van rental service.<br />
The rental outfit is endorsed<br />
by both the Department of<br />
Tourism and the Mactan<br />
International Airport. With<br />
knowledgeable and friendly<br />
local drivers who happily<br />
play guides, you can be sure<br />
to have an unforgettable<br />
vacation. 362 Ben Zubiri St,<br />
Labangon, Cebu City, tel: +63<br />
(32) 262 1697, www.cebutrip.<br />
com
THE CEBU SMILE MENU<br />
Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu<br />
Sergio Osmeña Blvd cor<br />
Juan Luna Ave<br />
Tel: +63 (32) 402 9900<br />
www.radissonblu.com/<br />
hotel-cebu<br />
Abaseria Deli and Café<br />
32 Pres Quirino St, Villa<br />
Aurora, Kasambagan<br />
Tel: +63 (32) 236 5264<br />
C EBU IN THE SPOTLIGHT<br />
Clockwise: Radisson Blu’s impressive lobby and bar welcomes<br />
guests; one of the hotel’s 400 elegant bedrooms; executive<br />
chef Marco Amarone at Feria, which whips up delectable<br />
breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets.<br />
Zubuchon Escario Branch<br />
Escario Building<br />
731 Escario St cor Clavao St<br />
Tel: +63 (32) 583 5699<br />
Café Elysa<br />
30-A Zamora St, Pari-an<br />
Tel: +63 (32) 414 9265<br />
Islands Banca Cruises<br />
www.islandsbanca.com<br />
A Café<br />
Crossroads, Banilad Road<br />
Tel: +63 (32) 505 5692<br />
Formo Resto-Lounge<br />
Banilad Town Centre<br />
Tel: +63 (32) 420 7070<br />
The Tinder Box<br />
Tel: +63 (32) 234 1681<br />
www.tinderbox.com.ph<br />
{ 124 }<br />
Betting on Cebu<br />
It’s the morning of Manny Pacquiao’s<br />
third match with Mexico’s Juan Manuel<br />
Marquez, and the Radisson Blu’s Santa<br />
Maria Grand Ballroom has been fi tted<br />
with fi ve massive viewing screens.<br />
There is an almost electric thrum in the<br />
air as people pack into the venue at<br />
10am, watching the undercard matches<br />
while discussing the odds and possible<br />
outcomes of the main event.<br />
As what always happens when<br />
Manny steps into the ring, the streets of<br />
Cebu empty out and people swarm in<br />
droves to the nearest screen, whether<br />
it’s in a roadside eatery or in swanky<br />
digs such as the Radisson Blu, where<br />
the sterling morning guest list includes<br />
local celebrity DJs and upcoming<br />
boxing champs like Boom-Boom<br />
Bautista.<br />
It also does signal something when a<br />
leading international hotel outfi t such as<br />
the Carlson Group decides to plant the<br />
fl agship hotel of its Asia-Pacifi c venture<br />
in Cebu. The Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu<br />
is a fi ve-star luxury hotel with 400<br />
guestrooms, dining outlets, 10 function<br />
rooms, two grand ballrooms, and the<br />
city’s largest free-form swimming pool.<br />
The hotel’s strategic location —<br />
about 20 minutes at most from the<br />
airport and almost adjacent to SM<br />
Cebu City Mall (the 11th largest in the<br />
world), which has everything from<br />
a supermarket to an Apple store —<br />
makes it a no-brainer choice. It’s<br />
also beginning to become a kind of<br />
nexus for local life, drawing locals to<br />
its various outlets at different times<br />
of the day: Feria for breakfast, lunch<br />
and dinner buffets, and the Blu lobby<br />
lounge for after-dinner drinks to live<br />
jazz music. The hotel’s executive chef,<br />
Italian Marco Amarone, describes<br />
Feria’s selection as one that likewise<br />
best defi nes Cebu: “Distinctly local, but<br />
updated with the rest of the world.”<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Cebu from across the<br />
network. www.cebupacifi cair.com
{ 126 }
B ANGKOK SIGHTSEEING<br />
Slow & steady<br />
in the city<br />
Slip away from Bangkok , s crowded<br />
city streets for a leisurely day cruise<br />
and see what the famed Thai capital is<br />
all about — an intriguing mix of luxury<br />
hotels, temples and trading boats.<br />
Text and photos by John Lander<br />
{ 127 }
THE BEST WAY TO SEE BANGKOK is<br />
slowly, leisurely and thoughtfully; and<br />
what better way to do this than on a<br />
boat down the Chao Phraya river and<br />
its network of canals? Board an express<br />
boat and you will see why Bangkok<br />
was once called the “Venice of the<br />
East.” Luckily, most of the city’s major<br />
attractions lie along the river, making<br />
the hotspots a pleasure to visit by boat.<br />
Know that the Chao Phraya water<br />
level rises signifi cantly every October,<br />
no thanks to the monsoon rains during<br />
August and September. In fact, it<br />
inundated the city’s waterways most<br />
dramatically in 1990 and just this year.<br />
This is a perennial event and the city<br />
has had powerful pumps and other<br />
methods to control the fl ow of water<br />
into the Gulf of Thailand.<br />
In other months, however, the river<br />
is a serene waterway and has remained<br />
the city’s lifeblood — and still is one of<br />
the best ways to get around Bangkok.<br />
Wat Po and the<br />
Grand Palace<br />
Wat Po is the oldest temple in<br />
Bangkok, dating back to the 16th<br />
century. The temple’s claim to fame is<br />
the giant reclining Buddha sparkling<br />
with gold leaf, showing the passing of<br />
Buddha into fi nal nirvana. Mother-ofpearl<br />
ornaments the eyes and feet.<br />
But Wat Po is not merely a Buddhist<br />
temple; the place buzzes with activity<br />
and is home to a massage school.<br />
Originally set up to train blind,<br />
traditional practitioners, the school is<br />
also the national headquarters for the<br />
preservation and teaching of traditional<br />
Thai medicine, massage and herbal<br />
therapy. Take a break from sightseeing<br />
and have a massage or body wrap.<br />
Right next door is the Grand Palace<br />
and Wat Phra Kaew, an important<br />
temple gleaming with the Emerald<br />
Buddha, gilt stupas, polished red roof<br />
tiles and mosaic-encrusted pillars.<br />
B ANGKOK SIGHTSEEING<br />
{ 129 }<br />
Clockwise: The impressive<br />
Grand Palace; Wat<br />
Phra Kaew is a must<br />
for architecture buffs;<br />
Wat Po’s giant reclining<br />
Buddha made with<br />
gold leaf.
The Temple of Dawn<br />
The icon of Bangkok, the Temple of<br />
Dawn — or Wat Arun as it is known<br />
in Thai — was named after the Indian<br />
god of dawn Aruna. The temple looms<br />
on the Thonburi side of the river and is<br />
covered in thousands of porcelain tiles<br />
over its giant spires. These tiles were<br />
originally used by Chinese merchant<br />
ships as ballast, but found a second<br />
life as adornments on the towers of<br />
Wat Arun. The four smaller pillars<br />
surrounding the huge central one<br />
represent the four continents of Earth.<br />
Sit for a spell under one of the<br />
pavilions and admire the river, the<br />
temple and its surroundings. Friendly<br />
monks will often stop by for a chat —<br />
the young ones are eager to practice<br />
their English. It’s a good way to connect<br />
with the locals and learn about Thai<br />
culture and the people.<br />
B ANGKOK SIGHTSEEING<br />
{ 130 }<br />
Discover Yak Wat<br />
Chaeng, a giant statue<br />
at Wat Arun
Remittance with Ease<br />
and Convenience<br />
www.landbank.com Ang Bangkong May Damdaming Bayan
Down by the riverside<br />
Cruising the river isn’t all about visiting<br />
temples or sightseeing. Hungry?<br />
Every evening at 7pm, the Wan Fah,<br />
a converted Thai rice barge, begins<br />
its slow cruise along the Chao Phraya<br />
river. Thai music and classical dances<br />
from the Ramayana are performed as<br />
you pass by the Temple of Dawn, Wat<br />
Phra Kaew and the Rama VIII Bridge<br />
— all lit up, golden and sparkling on<br />
the water. For many, viewing these<br />
sights from the perspective of the river,<br />
together with cool breezes and a cold<br />
drink, is the only way to sightsee.<br />
For those who prefer to dine on dry<br />
land, think Oriental Hotel. An attraction<br />
in its own right, the Oriental is ideally<br />
situated in lush gardens and has<br />
become such a Bangkok institution that<br />
it has its own ferryboat pier. Toast the<br />
famous authors who have stayed here<br />
— Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad<br />
and Noel Coward — during afternoon<br />
tea at the Author’s Wing Lounge; or<br />
start the day right with a sumptuous<br />
breakfast at the Veranda overlooking<br />
the river.<br />
B ANGKOK SIGHTSEEING<br />
{ 132 }<br />
From top: Hop on a cruise<br />
at any of the piers along<br />
the Chao Phraya river; the<br />
monks take a break too.
B ANGKOK SIGHTSEEING<br />
Tiny boats toot their horns to attract<br />
shoppers , attention as they sell bananas,<br />
dried squid or flowers<br />
Nowhere is Bangkok river life<br />
better represented than in one of the<br />
fl oating markets. The largest is located<br />
at Damnoen Saduak southwest of<br />
Bangkok and is open every morning —<br />
the earlier you get there, the better. A<br />
smaller one is held on weekends only<br />
at Taling Chan.<br />
Tiny boats toot their horns to<br />
attract shoppers’ attention as they sell<br />
bananas, dried squid or fl owers. Others<br />
are equipped with braziers to grill fresh<br />
fi sh and steam noodles. Bargaining is<br />
still the rule for produce or fl owers.<br />
Bangkok has always depended<br />
on the Chao Phraya River for its<br />
transportation, food, fi sh and fresh<br />
air. And the city’s legendary traffi c has<br />
only enhanced the appeal of travel<br />
on the River of Kings. Consider the<br />
proverb “nothing is softer than water,<br />
yet nothing can resist it” as you embark<br />
on your Bangkok river adventure and<br />
leave the crowded streets for good.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Bangkok from Manila<br />
and Clark. www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
{ 134 }<br />
The fl oating markets at<br />
Damnoen Saduak and<br />
Taling Chan are always<br />
busy, so get there early.<br />
A QUICK GUIDE<br />
TO CRUISE<br />
MODE<br />
Chao Phraya Express Boats run<br />
regular boat services up and down<br />
the river, leaving every 15 minutes or<br />
so. Fares range from THB5 for short<br />
rides to up to THB35, from 6am–<br />
6pm. Tel: +66 (2) 623 6143; www.<br />
chaophrayaexpressboat.com<br />
General information and maps of<br />
Bangkok are available at the offi ce in<br />
Pinklao Bridge on Phra Arthit Road.<br />
Also visit www.bangkoktourist.com<br />
Mitchaophrya Rungraung Co. Ltd. runs<br />
river and canal sightseeing boats daily<br />
at 9am, and includes Royal Barges,<br />
the Temple of Dawn and the Taling<br />
Chan fl oating market on Saturday and<br />
Sunday. One-hour cruise, THB700;<br />
chartered longtail boats, from THB700<br />
per hour. Tel: +66 (2) 225 6179<br />
Piers for major attractions The Grand<br />
Palace and Wat Phra Kaew are near<br />
Tha Chang Pier; Wat Po is closer to Tha<br />
Tien Pier.<br />
Wan Fah dinner cruises leave from<br />
River City Pier at 7pm and return at<br />
9pm. Tel: +66 (2) 222 8679; www.<br />
wanfah.in.th. Stay at the Oriental<br />
Hotel, 48 Oriental Avenue; www.<br />
mandarinoriental.com/bangkok<br />
Wat Po Traditional Massage Have<br />
massages and visit the school, which<br />
is open 8am–6pm daily. One-hour<br />
herbal massage, THB500. www.<br />
watpomassage.com
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Pomp &<br />
Circumstance<br />
Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace has endured six<br />
centuries of pomp and pageantry, tragedy and turmoil,<br />
destruction and rehabilitation. Mark Parren Taylor traces<br />
the palace’s long, storied journey to its present glory<br />
{ 136 }
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES<br />
S EOUL’S GRAND PALACE<br />
{ 137 }
Also known as The Palace<br />
of Shining Happiness,<br />
Gyeongbokgung once rivaled<br />
the Forbidden City in Beijing.<br />
IT’S HARD TO believe that such<br />
a place — so delicately decorated<br />
and set around elegant courtyards<br />
and gardens, fi lled with light and<br />
vibrancy — could be the scene of<br />
so much turmoil and sorrow. And<br />
yet it’s true of all the world’s great<br />
palaces and parliaments: they<br />
are home to immense power and<br />
wealth, and as such can trigger<br />
dark urges in the people that<br />
inhabit them. Gyeongbokgung or<br />
S EOUL’S GRAND PALACE<br />
The Palace of Shining Happiness is no<br />
exception: its opulent halls have seen<br />
troubled times, and it has been a stage<br />
for extravagance, vengeance, intrigue,<br />
and even murder.<br />
Gyeongbokgung — also called the<br />
Northern Palace because of its location<br />
in Seoul — has seen six centuries of<br />
turmoil, although for half of that time it<br />
was little more than scrubland around<br />
some burnt-out foundations. When it<br />
housed the royal family, it was ravaged<br />
{ 138 }<br />
by four major fi res, the restoration of<br />
which had emptied the treasury on<br />
at least two occasions (to become a<br />
palace equal in grandeur to Beijing’s<br />
Forbidden City or the Imperial Castle in<br />
Tokyo). It had been a powerful symbol<br />
used by both kings and invaders, and in<br />
between rebuilds, had been at the heart<br />
of much heated debate. It’s a wonder<br />
what this Palace Greatly Blessed by<br />
Heaven would have been like if it hadn’t<br />
received such divine approval!<br />
PHOTO MARK PARREN TAYLOR
From top: A pagoda at Gyeongbokgung<br />
provides a nice backdrop for a photo op;<br />
actors dressed as the king and queen<br />
during a re-enactment.<br />
S EOUL’S GRAND PALACE<br />
There were other things that<br />
suggested this building would be<br />
charmed. For example, the pungsu<br />
(the Korean form of feng shui) couldn’t<br />
have been better: the setting has Mount<br />
Bugaksan guarding the north, and the<br />
Han River auspiciously to the south.<br />
King Taejo may have only been on the<br />
throne for a year or two in 1394, but<br />
he had already established the Joseon<br />
Dynasty (which he never in his wildest<br />
dreams would have expected to last<br />
fi ve centuries) and was looking to settle<br />
down in a suitable residence. Despite<br />
having laid the groundwork for his<br />
new palace in modern-day Daejeon,<br />
some members of his court convinced<br />
him to heed the prophecies of a 10th<br />
century priest named Doseon and make<br />
Hanyang, now Seoul, the capital. So he<br />
sent his builders 150km north — and<br />
moved in to his new pad the following<br />
year. A dozen kings came and went,<br />
and work continued on expanding and<br />
{ 140 }<br />
A dozen kings came and<br />
went, but work continued<br />
and enhanced the palace<br />
until it reached its glory in<br />
the 16th century<br />
enhancing the palace until it reached its<br />
glory in the 16th century.<br />
And then in 1553 it succumbed (as<br />
wooden structures are prone) to an<br />
unguarded fi replace or a carelessly hung<br />
lantern, and most of its 7,700 elegantly<br />
crafted rooms promptly burned down.<br />
Almost immediately, and at great<br />
expense, pavilions were rebuilt for<br />
King Myeongjong. But invading armies<br />
from Japan — who had infl icted<br />
IMAGES<br />
heavy damage across the peninsula —<br />
GETTY<br />
ransacked the place in 1592 and torched<br />
it. The royal court turned its back on the<br />
smoldering rubble. PHOTOS
PHOTOS MARK PARREN TAYLOR<br />
Both decorative<br />
and useful, these<br />
everyday pieces<br />
around the palace<br />
complex show<br />
what life during the<br />
Joseon Dynasty<br />
must have been like.<br />
S EOUL’S GRAND PALACE<br />
{ 143 }<br />
The best and the worst<br />
The best times, and then the worst,<br />
were yet to come for this palace.<br />
Around 273 years later, the child King<br />
Gojong’s decisions were being made by<br />
the Daewongun (his princely father who<br />
wielded the underage ruler’s power). It<br />
was decided that the Joseon Dynasty<br />
needed a return to its former glory; and<br />
what better way than to return it to its<br />
original seat of power? In rebuilding<br />
Gyeongbokgung, the government was<br />
almost bankrupted (again), but the<br />
15-year-old regent ended up with a<br />
grand new nest to go with his brand<br />
new wife. The vast complex had<br />
almost 5,800 rooms, ample perhaps<br />
to accommodate 3,000 staff, scores<br />
of eunuchs, scholars, soldiers, and<br />
a growing royal family that would<br />
eventually tally over a hundred with<br />
consorts, children and sundry “in-laws”<br />
accounted for.<br />
Gojong’s fi rst consort, generally<br />
known as Queen Min, turned into<br />
his greatest love. But when the two<br />
teenagers married in 1866, she showed<br />
more interest in affairs of state and he<br />
was happier drinking and banqueting.<br />
By all accounts, they were ill-matched<br />
and spent little time together. She was<br />
an intelligent woman and was quick<br />
to grasp the reins of power. She also<br />
built alliances with China, the US and<br />
Europe and — much to Japan’s ire as<br />
well as the irritation of conservative<br />
Korean hierarchy — brought Englishlanguage<br />
schools, military know-how,<br />
economic growth and Christianity to a<br />
fast modernizing Korea.
You can almost imagine King Gojong and<br />
Queen Min strolling along the palace’s<br />
colorful columned walkways and halls.<br />
S EOUL’S GRAND PALACE<br />
{ 144 }<br />
In October 1895, two dozen<br />
Japanese agents stole into the Queen’s<br />
private residence (the fi rst buildings in<br />
Korea to have electric lighting), which<br />
was tucked away in a wooded area at<br />
the rear of Gyeongbokgung. Though<br />
they fought with palace guards, it<br />
is believed that their passage was<br />
assisted by a team of treacherous<br />
offi cials. These sword-wielding<br />
assassins entered Okhoru Pavilion<br />
and, unsure of who their target was,<br />
murdered the women they found. One<br />
was the Queen.<br />
Gojong, who had come to love<br />
Min, locked himself in his chambers<br />
for the remainder of the year and,<br />
unable to focus, signed several<br />
Japanese-sponsored treaties that<br />
gave the aggressive neighbor extra<br />
powers in Korea. He eventually fl ed<br />
Gyeongbokgung for the Russian<br />
diplomatic mission with his son,<br />
Sunjong, in early 1896, never to return.<br />
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
US$150 million has<br />
been spent to restore<br />
125 buildings to their<br />
former glory<br />
A return to glory<br />
Sunjong became the last emperor,<br />
and 101 years after he bowed out,<br />
the renovation of Gyeongbokgung<br />
has fi nally entered the second half<br />
of its 40-year plan. In 1990, when<br />
work commenced, just 36 of the 500<br />
buildings of King Gojong’s palace stood.<br />
The majority had been destroyed or<br />
defaced during the 35-year Japanese<br />
colonial rule that ended in 1945, and<br />
others were lost during the Korean<br />
War in the early 1950s. So far,<br />
US$150 million has been spent, with<br />
125 buildings restored. A legion of<br />
craftsmen — carpenters, brass workers,<br />
tilers, painters and stonemasons — has<br />
been assembled to work on another<br />
253 buildings over the next 20 years.<br />
Many of these artisans possess such<br />
expertise in their fi eld (for example,<br />
daemokjang traditional carpentry or<br />
dancheongjang ornamental painting)<br />
that they are considered “Intangible<br />
Cultural Properties” by the South<br />
Korean government!<br />
Like a phoenix, Gyeongbokgung<br />
has once again risen from the ashes of<br />
destruction — sometimes accidental,<br />
often planned. Despite a history<br />
darkened by storm clouds and bonfi re<br />
smoke, it seems that fi nally The Palace<br />
of Shining Happiness is able to live up<br />
to its name.<br />
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Incheon (Seoul) from<br />
Manila and Cebu. www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
S EOUL’S GRAND PALACE<br />
{ 146 }<br />
HOW TO<br />
GET THERE<br />
Craftsmen will also<br />
work on the palace’s<br />
other 253 structures<br />
for the next 20 years.<br />
GYEONGBOKGUNG<br />
22 Sajingna, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-050<br />
Tel: +822 3700 3900<br />
Visit www.royalpalace.go.kr<br />
Open<br />
March–October: 9am–6pm<br />
November–February: 9am–5pm<br />
The palace is closed on Tuesdays.<br />
Tickets<br />
Adult: KRW3,000 (PHP114)<br />
Children: KRW1,500 (PHP57)<br />
Nearest subway<br />
Gyeongbokgung station: line 3, exit 5<br />
Gwanghwamun station: line 5, exit 2<br />
PHOTOS MARK PARREN TAYLOR
{ 148 }
THE SHOESTRING DIARIES<br />
Savor Singapore<br />
Think Singapore is all-city, no country and expensive<br />
to boot? Let Ruby Tan show you the other side of this<br />
island: local life on the cheap. Photos by Lester Ledesma<br />
{ 149 }
PHOTO COURTESY OF RUBY TAN (TOP)<br />
The Shoestring<br />
Traveler:<br />
Ruby Tan<br />
Her motto “Always talk to the locals<br />
and don’t just see a place, live it.”<br />
Her mission To explore Singapore’s<br />
wide-ranging and varied attractions in<br />
72 hours with less than S$300.<br />
THE SHOESTRING DIARIES<br />
{ 151 }<br />
The Kampong Glam<br />
area is home to the Sultan<br />
Mosque and other<br />
stunning architecture.<br />
WELCOME TO SINGAPORE,<br />
world-famous for its fast pace and<br />
smorgasbord of cultures living together<br />
in a small space. Growing quickly as<br />
a First-World city, you can expect<br />
prices to rise steadily as well. But fret<br />
not: if you follow some rules — like<br />
staying away from taxis and eating<br />
at hawker centers — spending less<br />
in Singapore doesn’t mean you take<br />
in less. Here is my guide to all things<br />
quintessentially Singaporean, without<br />
the quintessential damage a First-<br />
World city can do to your wallet.<br />
Day 1<br />
I’m armed with the one card that grants<br />
access to all of Singapore on the cheap:<br />
the EZ-Link Card (S$12/US$9.70 with<br />
a stored value of S$7/US$5.60). I took<br />
a short Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train<br />
ride from Changi Airport Station down<br />
to Kallang Station (S$1.47/US$1.18) to<br />
check in at The Hive@Kallang, which is<br />
just two minutes away. The Kallang area<br />
is outside of the usual commotion you’ll<br />
fi nd in the city, but still within 10 to 15<br />
minutes on public transport. I checked<br />
in for two nights on a dorm bed (S$48/<br />
US$38.65) and hopped on a public bus<br />
(S$0.73/US$0.60) to the Kampong<br />
Glam area.<br />
Quickly you’ll see the<br />
high-rise housing fl ats<br />
give way to shophouses<br />
that have retained their<br />
characteristic décor. I had<br />
lunch at the Kampong<br />
Glam Café: a plate of Roti<br />
John Cheese Beef (S$4/<br />
US$3.20) and teh tarik<br />
(“pulled tea” in Malay; S$0.80/<br />
US$0.65).<br />
Combing through the lanes of<br />
Kampong Glam will show you Malay<br />
and Middle-eastern cultures in<br />
Singapore. I take in the myriad colors<br />
and patterns in the textile shops on Arab<br />
Street, the scents wafting from stores<br />
with traditional Malay and Middleeastern<br />
trinkets near the majestic Sultan
From top: Bugis Street<br />
Market; Upper Boon Keng<br />
Market and Hawker Center.<br />
Mosque, and even some inspiration<br />
from fashion stores along Haji Lane. I<br />
grabbed two lovely Chinese hairpins for<br />
S$8 (US$6.40) each; such is Singapore,<br />
where you’ll fi nd Chinese-themed items<br />
in the Malay quarters. I ventured into the<br />
must-visit retro Children’s Little Museum<br />
(S$2/US$1.60) to see what it was like<br />
before today’s technology. You can even<br />
buy these “old school” items!<br />
Dinner was a short walk from the<br />
hostel. Geylang, Singapore’s famed<br />
little naughty spot, is also a refuge for<br />
the hungry. Have some beef kway teow<br />
(S$5/US$4) at the popular Lorong<br />
9 Beef Kway Teow Stall and take a<br />
long walk down the lorongs (“alley” in<br />
Malay), before coming back up the other<br />
side and sampling some durian in one of<br />
the numerous fruit stalls — if you dare.<br />
Shoestring budget<br />
for Day 1: S$89/<br />
US$69.52<br />
THE SHOESTRING DIARIES<br />
Unlike typical street markets, the<br />
items are not all the same and are<br />
actually on trend, and the staff don , t<br />
force you into stores<br />
Day 2<br />
Crossing the road and heading towards<br />
the Upper Boon Keng Market and<br />
Hawker Center, I grab a breakfast set<br />
from Old Coffee Joint, which consists<br />
of a cup of coffee, two slices of kaya<br />
and butter toast, and two soft-boiled<br />
eggs (S$2.40/US$1.90). Eat slowly and<br />
revel in the moment; watch families<br />
have breakfast in their pajamas and<br />
old aunties going about buying fresh<br />
produce from the wet market. You will be<br />
witnessing everyday Singapore life here;<br />
a scene not found in Chinatown, Little<br />
India and defi nitely not Orchard Road.<br />
Then I do some stretches and take<br />
the train to Bugis MRT station (S$0.73/<br />
{ 152 }<br />
US$0.60), where some heavy duty<br />
shopping was about to begin.<br />
Bugis Street Market is a cheapoholic’s<br />
(my own word for cheapo and<br />
shopaholic) heaven. This is probably<br />
the place to get all of your shopping<br />
done, typical souvenirs included. From<br />
watches to shoes to bags and even<br />
naughty toys, this place gets choked<br />
with bargain hunters especially on the<br />
weekends. You will see why when you<br />
get here. Unlike typical street markets,<br />
the clothes are not all the same and are<br />
actually on trend, and the staff don’t<br />
force you into the stores. Oh, and don’t<br />
be afraid to ask for a discount! Two
THE SHOESTRING DIARIES<br />
{ 154 }<br />
From top: Wade through<br />
the racks of clothes at<br />
Bugis Street Market; take a<br />
minute (or more) to enjoy the<br />
Singapore skyline<br />
from The Esplanade.<br />
dresses, three tops, a pair of fl ats and<br />
some trinkets later, I’m set back by<br />
S$95 (US$76.50). I also grabbed a cup<br />
of watermelon juice (S$1/US$0.80)<br />
and a crispy pancake with peanut and<br />
ice cream (S$2.50/US$2), because<br />
shopping at Bugis Street Market can<br />
really burn some calories.<br />
After a dinner of all-you-can-eat<br />
steamboat (S$18–20/US$14.50–16)<br />
at Liang Seah Street, I plop<br />
my bottom at the Marina<br />
Bay Sands Event Plaza<br />
well before 8pm for an<br />
enthralling light and water<br />
show called Wonder<br />
Full. And guess what? It’s<br />
totally free!<br />
After the colorful swishing<br />
of lights, laser beams and water<br />
jets ends, I saunter down the iconic<br />
Helix Bridge and grab a photo with<br />
Singapore’s famous night skyline.<br />
The Esplanade is one of the best<br />
places to chill out. It doesn’t have a<br />
whole line of bars a la Clarke Quay (you<br />
can visit it if that’s your thing), but the<br />
idea is to grab some drinks and snacks<br />
and people-watch while you sit by the<br />
Singapore River, city lights dazzling just<br />
beside you.<br />
I then splurged on a cup of Italian<br />
Thick Hot Chocolate (S$7.90/US$6.40)<br />
from Max Brenner and managed to<br />
catch a random free performance at the<br />
Outdoor Stage!<br />
Shoestring budget<br />
for Day 2: S$129.53/<br />
US$101.17
Day 3<br />
You can’t be situated next to a famous<br />
food stall and not visit it. For breakfast,<br />
I had a bowl of Jalan Sultan prawn<br />
mee (S$5/US$4); with its rich prawn<br />
stock and large prawns, it’s a hit with<br />
many Singaporeans. Then, just so<br />
I can say I’ve seen it all, I grab The<br />
Original Tour (S$18/US$16.10) pass for<br />
a roofdeck bus ride around the typical<br />
sights of Singapore such as Clarke<br />
Quay, Orchard Road, Little India and<br />
Chinatown.<br />
Before making my way back to the<br />
airport, I took the MRT to Bedok Station<br />
(S$1.11/US$0.90) for a fi nal feast of<br />
Singaporean food. Just across the street<br />
is the Bedok Interchange Food Center,<br />
where I had a fresh sugar cane drink<br />
(S$1.50/US$1.20), some soon kueh<br />
(S$2/US$1.60 for four) and a plate of<br />
wanton mee (S$2.50/US$2).<br />
Unlike Kallang, Bedok is a much<br />
bigger suburb. Larger neighborhoods<br />
in Singapore have an area that locals<br />
often refer to as the Central. In Bedok<br />
Central, you’ll see shops that cater to the<br />
neighborhood around it. It does make<br />
for some great last-minute shopping,<br />
and perhaps a better imprint of normal<br />
THE SHOESTRING DIARIES<br />
A filling bowl of<br />
wanton mee will only<br />
cost you S$2.50<br />
Singaporean life that’s sidestepped in<br />
the more touristy areas.<br />
It’s easy to stick to the well-trodden<br />
path especially when visiting very<br />
metropolitan cities, but if you dare<br />
to venture into less centrally located<br />
neighborhoods, that is where you’ll fi nd<br />
a city’s true essence.<br />
Shoestring budget<br />
for Day 3: S$30.11/<br />
US$23.52<br />
Cebu Pacifi c Flies to Singapore<br />
from Manila, Cebu and Clark.<br />
www.cebupacifi cair.com<br />
TOTAL FOR<br />
THREE DAYS:<br />
S$248.64/<br />
US$194.21<br />
{ 156 }<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
ON THE CHEAP<br />
CHECKLIST<br />
The Hive @ Kallang<br />
6 Jalan Ayer<br />
www.thehivebackpackers.com/kallang<br />
Kampong Glam Café<br />
17 Bussorah St<br />
Little Shophouse<br />
43 Bussorah St<br />
Children’s Little Museum<br />
42 Bussorah St<br />
Lorong 9 Beef Kway Teow<br />
237 Geylang Lorong 9<br />
Upper Boon Keng Market<br />
and Hawker Center<br />
Blk 17 Upper Boon Keng Road<br />
Old Coffee Joint<br />
#01-41 Blk 17 Upper Boon Keng Road<br />
Bugis Street Market<br />
4 New Bugis Street<br />
Marina Bay Sands<br />
10 Bayfront Avenue<br />
www.marinabaysands.com<br />
The Esplanade<br />
1 Esplanade Drive<br />
Max Brenner<br />
#01-06/08 Esplanade Mall<br />
Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee<br />
No. 2 Jalan Ayer<br />
Duck & Hippo Tours<br />
Suntec Convention Centre, #05-520<br />
www.ducktours.com.sg<br />
Bedok Interchange Food Centre<br />
207 New Upper Changi Road<br />
Fatt Soon Kuey<br />
#01-51, 207 New Upper Changi Road<br />
Tian Seng Drink Stall<br />
#01-35, 207 New Upper Changi Road<br />
Quan Ji Cooked Food Stall<br />
#01-20, 207 New Upper Changi Road
{ 158 }
DISCOVER DUMAGUETE<br />
The<br />
creative<br />
zone<br />
Dumaguete , s ever-growing population of<br />
resident artists and intellectuals is defining<br />
the city , s soul: creative, vibrant and smart.<br />
Story by Kristine Fonacier.<br />
Photos by Hersley Ven Casero<br />
{ 159 }
IT’S WEDNESDAY night in Dumaguete,<br />
and there is an involved conversation<br />
going on around the table. There are<br />
drinks, of course, and they are fast<br />
dwindling as the night wears on. “Were<br />
they summoned?” someone says,<br />
and quickly a small debate starts to<br />
fl urry up around the question. There<br />
are books as well: the group is doing a<br />
close reading of Hamlet, poring over it<br />
line by line and fi guring things out as<br />
they go.<br />
Here, tonight, is a microcosm of<br />
Dumaguete. Just as the city is centered<br />
around Silliman University, the group<br />
meets in the sala of the president’s<br />
house on the fringes of the spacious<br />
grounds, not far from the boulevard.<br />
The people in attendance are an<br />
DISCOVER DUMAGUETE<br />
eclectic mix of<br />
locals, foreigners<br />
and balikbayans,<br />
professors and students,<br />
business owners and retirees.<br />
The reading group was organized<br />
as a way to fi ll up time on a weekday,<br />
to socialize and fi nd intellectually<br />
stimulating conversation with likeminded<br />
people. In a way, it’s the kind<br />
of thing that’s really only possible in a<br />
place like Dumaguete — a cultural hub<br />
that takes its learning very seriously,<br />
sophisticated enough for a reading<br />
group, quiet enough so that people<br />
have time for it.<br />
Outside, at 10pm, the city is still<br />
awake, though to call it “bustling”<br />
would be a stretch. Although<br />
{ 160 }<br />
There’s a constant<br />
undercurrent of<br />
intellectual activity<br />
in the city<br />
Dumaguete is the capital, the largest<br />
city, and the main entry point by<br />
sea and by air to the rest of Negros<br />
Oriental, “laid-back” is still about the<br />
most common adjective you’ll hear<br />
about it. There is a fantastic vibrancy<br />
and youthfulness to the place, as any<br />
university town would have, but it’s all<br />
tempered with small-town reticence<br />
that allows it to hum along rather<br />
quietly, letting it retain a great deal of<br />
hometown charm even as the world<br />
comes to its doorstep.
Clockwise from left: Virginia Maja-Stack’s<br />
weekly column chronicles the vibrant local<br />
life; Takeshi Maruyama at work on a sculpure;<br />
resident poet and university professor Cesar<br />
Ruiz Aquino; one of the many murals in<br />
Silliman University.<br />
Artists’ choice<br />
“Dumaguete has become a hub of<br />
artists from all over the country,<br />
perhaps because of the infl uence of<br />
Silliman and other universities that<br />
promote creative and arts opportunities<br />
for students and visitors,” agrees<br />
Virginia Maja-Stack, a balikbayan<br />
retiree who now writes a column for the<br />
Dumaguete Metro Post. “And I certainly<br />
think that it also has something to<br />
do with the people’s attitude here,<br />
[because they are] are open to new<br />
initiatives and creative forms.”<br />
Spend any amount of time in<br />
Dumaguete, and it will be impossible<br />
not to stumble upon the wellsprings<br />
of creativity that run deep in the city.<br />
Dumaguete is still synonymous with<br />
the annual National Writers’ Workshop<br />
that’s been run by Silliman for decades<br />
Spend any amount of time<br />
in Dumaguete, and it will be<br />
impossible not to stumble upon<br />
the wellsprings of creativity that<br />
run deep in the city<br />
now, and which count among its<br />
generations of fellows a great number of<br />
the country’s literary elite. But creativity<br />
in many forms runs rampant. In a<br />
short visit there, I was able to meet a<br />
world-class Japanese ceramic artist,<br />
Takeshi Maruyama — a teacher at<br />
the Foundation University who, with<br />
the help of photographer Hersley Ven<br />
Casero, is putting together a proposal<br />
to install 100 of<br />
{ 162 }<br />
his pieces around<br />
town. I also spoke<br />
to Diane Pool, an<br />
American who<br />
has settled in<br />
the community<br />
of Tambobo<br />
Bay, just outside<br />
Dumaguete, where she has helped<br />
put up a couple of schoolhouses for<br />
the children of Siaton. With some likeminded<br />
friends, she is hoping to turn<br />
part of the foundation’s offi ces into an<br />
artists’ retreat, which will help fund their<br />
work in the schoolhouses.<br />
And there does seem to be a strong<br />
impetus towards connections, both<br />
towards the community in Dumaguete<br />
and outward, drawing people towards<br />
the place. Maja-Stack herself is involved<br />
in a pilot project with New York-based<br />
restaurateur and food writer Amy Besa,<br />
Manila’s Enderun Colleges, and Silliman<br />
University to create community kitchens<br />
to teach nutrition and sustainable eating.<br />
Indeed, this kind of involvement in<br />
community-oriented projects speaks
DISCOVER DUMAGUETE<br />
{ 163 }
to residents’ genuine affection for<br />
Dumaguete. It is the kind of place that<br />
draws out this kind of enthusiastic,<br />
innovative involvement: small enough<br />
to remain personal and manageable,<br />
big enough that it is able to attract and<br />
absorb people from all over and the<br />
worldly infl uence they bring. The latest<br />
census fi gures put the population of<br />
Dumaguete at just over 116,000 — still<br />
relatively tiny by urban standards. The<br />
population grows, bit by little bit, with<br />
perhaps a disproportionate number of<br />
intelligent, interesting, committed people<br />
among them.<br />
Constant learning<br />
Partly it’s the way the city was built, with<br />
the city hall and the spacious public park<br />
at the heart of it, abutted by the open<br />
grounds of Silliman University. The east<br />
border of the town is a wide beachfront<br />
promenade that overlooks the calm<br />
expanse of Dumaguete Bay, with<br />
Siquijor looming in the distance. The<br />
beachfront strip is called Rizal Boulevard<br />
— it was Jose Rizal himself, they say,<br />
who fi rst called Dumaguete “the city of<br />
gentle people” — and the Dumaguete<br />
version should be the envy of its Manila<br />
counterpart. This is a seaside boulevard<br />
that works: accessible to the city’s<br />
residents, clean and well-maintained,<br />
pleasant and beloved.<br />
DISCOVER DUMAGUETE<br />
Quaint and coastal,<br />
Dumaguete is the<br />
quintessential Pinoy<br />
university town<br />
{ 165 }<br />
Rizal Boulevard at dusk.<br />
Inset: Silliman University.
The establishments over on the<br />
other side of the wide street also<br />
say something about the charms of<br />
Dumaguete. Silliman Hall is at one<br />
end, signaling the beginning of a row<br />
of boutique hotels, restaurants and<br />
bars, with the odd offi ce building or<br />
two thrown in. Only here, perhaps, can<br />
you fi nd something like the surprisingly<br />
sophisticated Casablanca delicatessen<br />
and restaurant — which is attached to<br />
the Dumaguete Academy of Culinary<br />
Arts and offers a globe-trotting array of<br />
dishes — a few doors down from Pirate<br />
DISCOVER DUMAGUETE<br />
Bay, which is as much of a dive as its<br />
name suggests.<br />
You don’t have to wander too far<br />
to be able to take your pick, from the<br />
Spanish-themed Café Antonio, built<br />
within a heritage house and furnished<br />
with antiques; Moon Café, fi lled with<br />
university students and backpackers<br />
of every color and stripe; and the<br />
understated KRI, with a modern menu<br />
that would be a standout in the most<br />
chic parts of Metro Manila.<br />
It’s a chicken-and-egg type of<br />
dilemma, trying to fi gure out whether<br />
{ 166 }<br />
From top: The Moon Café<br />
offers live entertainment to go<br />
with your meal; the historic<br />
Dumaguete Church is always a<br />
pretty sight at night. Inset: The<br />
Boulevard comes alive with a<br />
fi reworks display.<br />
the boundless creative energy here<br />
has attracted artists, intellectuals and<br />
travelers, or whether it’s the presence<br />
of those people that contribute so much<br />
to the city’s vibrancy. But now the city<br />
seems to have managed to fall into a<br />
virtuous cycle, nurturing an atmosphere<br />
that is greatly conducive to creativity,<br />
which in turn also continually attracts<br />
the people who keep the atmosphere<br />
alive.<br />
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Trees of life<br />
High in the remote northern mountains of Benguet,<br />
a team of forest builders are fighting the adverse<br />
effects of climate change by taking matters into<br />
their own hands. Story and photos by JP Alipio<br />
WHEN I WAS young, one of the<br />
fi rst songs I learned in school was<br />
the classic countryside ditty called<br />
Magtanim ay di Biro, which directly<br />
translates to “planting is not a joke.”<br />
At the time, the song painted for me a<br />
picture of the back-breaking hard work<br />
involved in rice farming; or any kind<br />
of work with the earth, for that matter.<br />
The song’s writers may have been<br />
describing the hardships of life as they<br />
knew it, but I always had the feeling<br />
that my teacher was giving the class a<br />
not-so-subtle hint: don’t farm or plant<br />
for a living when you grow up. Those<br />
back-breaking jobs, after all, are among<br />
the hardest there are.<br />
Many years later, somewhere in the<br />
mountainous region of the Cordillera,<br />
the north end of which is two hours’<br />
drive from Cauayan, Isabela, I sit at the<br />
top of a mountain slope. I’ve come to<br />
work and suddenly remembered the<br />
song from my childhood. Amazingly<br />
enough, I have become exactly what I’d<br />
seemed to be warned against becoming<br />
— a farmer and a tree-planter.<br />
As part of my job for The Forest<br />
Builders, a group that three of my<br />
friends and I formed three years ago, I<br />
lead the day’s tree-planting project to<br />
help reforest the area. It’s an important<br />
forest that provides water for a nearby<br />
village and protects it from storms and<br />
{ 168 }<br />
landslides. The group — 50 elementary<br />
students, just as many high school kids,<br />
the adults and elders of the community,<br />
and a pair of siblings age three and four<br />
— plant a total of 2,000 seedlings for<br />
the day, and build a solid foundation for<br />
the future.<br />
What began as an effort to preserve<br />
the places in which we played as kids<br />
— trekking mist-covered ridges, biking<br />
across mountain streams and verdant<br />
forests, and walking through villages<br />
where the people lived as close to<br />
nature as one possibly could — has<br />
evolved into something much bigger: to<br />
preserve entire communities by caring<br />
for the land that feeds them.
PHOTO LESTER LEDESMA (MAIN PHOTO)<br />
R EFORESTING THE CORDILLERA<br />
What began as an effort to preserve<br />
the places in which we played has<br />
evolved into something much bigger:<br />
to preserve entire communities by<br />
caring for the land that feeds them<br />
{ 169 }
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Over a hundred people help out in<br />
a forest-building activity; some are<br />
from the local community while<br />
others come in from the cities.<br />
There is an underlying vision that<br />
guides our efforts, and it’s the hope<br />
that one day people will see forests<br />
as something that’s as important as<br />
the tallest buildings that become the<br />
symbols of a nation, the engineering<br />
marvels that connote all the prosperity<br />
a country has achieved. We want<br />
people to think of forests in the same<br />
way, to build them to be as grand as<br />
skyscrapers and to make them the<br />
icons that would stand out above<br />
anything else in the landscape. That<br />
ought to put a sense of pride in every<br />
builder of every forest.<br />
Sowing the seeds<br />
The fi rst time we built a forest, there<br />
R EFORESTING THE CORDILLERA<br />
There is an underlying vision that guides<br />
our efforts, and it , s the hope that one day<br />
people will see forests as something that , s<br />
as important as the tallest buildings that<br />
become the symbols of a nation<br />
were 25 of us on a mountaintop with<br />
500 seedlings. Today, every forestbuilding<br />
activity counts at least a<br />
hundred people, with some of them<br />
arriving from the cities. Also on this<br />
day, we will have planted our 50,000th<br />
seedling and the foundations for eight<br />
forests in remote villages across the<br />
Cordillera mountains, covering some<br />
of the most diffi cult terrain and most<br />
remote locations.<br />
For the local community, joining<br />
{ 171 }<br />
in the tree-planting effort is perhaps<br />
the best investment they can make.<br />
The advent of human-induced climate<br />
change has made mountain villages<br />
like this one in Tublay, Benguet, among<br />
the country’s most vulnerable areas to<br />
both drought and landslides. As a small<br />
farming community, most of the village<br />
people’s livelihoods have long been<br />
rooted in the earth.<br />
But the industries of other areas in<br />
the world are changing the climate
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mrdo 111111
Investing in their future: forest builders<br />
include kids as young as three,<br />
elementary students and the elders.<br />
PLANT A<br />
TREE, LEAVE<br />
A LEGACY<br />
The Forest Builders, under the<br />
Cordillera Conservation Trust,<br />
organize several forest-building<br />
activities throughout the year.<br />
Score one (or two) for the planet<br />
and join in the tree-planting.<br />
Visit www.facebook.com/<br />
Cordillera.Conservation.Trust<br />
and sign up for a meaningful,<br />
and life-saving, vacation.<br />
R EFORESTING THE CORDILLERA<br />
{ 173 }<br />
patterns, and this change has deeply<br />
affected this remote mountain village.<br />
Here, the rice fi elds very often run<br />
dry from the lack of water, and are<br />
no longer kept to the soil by the bald<br />
mountains. Tublay’s roads are often<br />
blocked by giant slides whose earth,<br />
devoid of forests, could no longer stand<br />
the weight of the rain. Repopulating the<br />
mountains with trees was the cheapest<br />
and most effective way to protect a way<br />
of living that they have practiced for<br />
centuries.<br />
The green army<br />
The forest in Tublay is to be the last<br />
forest we would help build this season<br />
as the rainy months come to an end.<br />
I watch as three-year-old Arvi, the<br />
youngest member of our newest Forest<br />
Builders, gently holds the roots of a
R EFORESTING THE CORDILLERA<br />
Building a forest is a chance not only to plant,<br />
but to walk among the shadows of the forest,<br />
swim in the rivers, and exchange stories as<br />
you share a meal under the trees<br />
new seedling and puts it into the earth.<br />
Creating opportunities to experience<br />
nature is our goal each time we head<br />
out into the mountains. These are<br />
becoming few and far in between, and<br />
this disconnection is something we try to<br />
address — building a forest is a chance<br />
not only to plant but to walk among the<br />
shadows of the forest, swim in the rivers,<br />
and exchange stories as you share your<br />
meal under the shade of the trees.<br />
And fi nally, at the end of the day,<br />
the last hole is dug and the last tree is<br />
planted. The skies open up and rain<br />
starts to fall, and the thousands of new<br />
foundations in the ground turn to the<br />
heavens and grow to the earth. I take<br />
a quick survey of our Forest Builders<br />
as they walk down the mountain path,<br />
hands covered in earth dripping back<br />
down to the soil with the rain, an army<br />
of green engineers out to ensure that the<br />
{ 174 }<br />
Be a green engineer<br />
today: help repopulate<br />
our forests and<br />
prevent droughts<br />
and landslides<br />
future will be greener than it is today.<br />
So against my teacher’s advice in<br />
fi rst grade, I have made planting my<br />
job. Still, every single day I am out<br />
in the mountains digging holes in the<br />
earth I am always left amazed at what<br />
a tree can do with a little soil, water,<br />
and a lifetime of sunshine.<br />
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trip journal<br />
trip journal<br />
Your guide to enjoying every city on our network<br />
Enjoy an endless<br />
display of thousands<br />
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Be a Smile Where local to correspondent! find everything Email you us wanna at cebu.ed@ink-global.com<br />
read - enjoy!<br />
{ 177 }<br />
Want to visit<br />
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JAPAN<br />
OSAKA<br />
COUNTRY CODE +81 (6)<br />
CURRENCY JPY100 = PHP54.98/US$1.28<br />
TOUCHDOWN Take the Nankai Express Rapit<br />
from Kansai International Airport to Osaka (38<br />
minutes to Namba station) and the JR Haruka<br />
limited express (33 minutes to Tenno-ji, 51 minutes<br />
to Shin-Osaka). www.kansai-airport.or.jp/en/access<br />
BY DAY Shop for trendy brands at the Mitsukoshi<br />
Isetan department store in Umeda. The enormous<br />
Osaka Station City (osakastationcity.com/en/)<br />
has also just opened, with lots of new shops and<br />
restaurants to choose from.<br />
BY NIGHT Try takoyaki (octopus balls), one of<br />
Osaka’s most iconic dishes, at Takoyaki Doraku<br />
Wanaka in Namba, which is open till almost<br />
midnight. Another option is to have dinner in the<br />
basement of the Sky Building.<br />
SLEEP Swissotel Nankai Osaka is at the heart<br />
of the Namba district, which is the center of<br />
shopping, nightlife and entertainment in the city.<br />
www.swissotel.com/EN/<br />
Yoshiaki<br />
Tamamura<br />
translator<br />
BEST BUYS Anything related to<br />
the best baseball team in Japan –<br />
the Hanshin Tigers.<br />
INSIDER TIP When in Osaka,<br />
do as the locals do — always smile<br />
and drink a lot!<br />
LOCAL SPEAK Say “Maji-de?”<br />
when someone says something<br />
surprising. It means “Really?” Osaka<br />
people will love it.<br />
trip journal<br />
VIETNAM<br />
HO CHI MINH CITY<br />
COUNTRY CODE +84<br />
CURRENCY VND10,000 = PHP20.62/US$0.48<br />
TOUCHDOWN Tan Son Nhat International<br />
Airport is a 30-minute drive away from District 1.<br />
A taxi ride costs about VND80,000 (PHP165).<br />
You can also hire a motorbike and driver for<br />
VND20,000 (PHP41.25).<br />
BY DAY The city has a vibrant café culture, with<br />
coffe shops ranging from upside-down houses to<br />
art-deco colonial buildings. A good place to start is<br />
La Fenetre Soleil (44 Ly Tu Trong). Also check out<br />
the HCMC Fine Arts Museum for US$1 (PHP43).<br />
BY NIGHT Sign up for “Saigon After Dark,”<br />
a four-hour evening tour that takes you on a<br />
culinary excursion of the city’s street culture, food<br />
and nightlife on the back of a vintage Vespa. www.<br />
vietnamvespaadventures.com<br />
SLEEP For those on a budget, The Spring Hotel<br />
(44–46 Le Thanh Ton St, District 1) offers clean and<br />
comfortable rooms starting from US$33 (PHP1,417)<br />
per night in a good area downtown.<br />
INSIDER TIP For safe meter<br />
prices, only take Mai Linh, Vinasun<br />
or Saigon Tourist taxis.<br />
BEST DINNER Hai Lua or Wrap<br />
and Roll for Vietnamese food, and<br />
Elbow Room for Western cuisine.<br />
MUST-TRY The foot massage<br />
in Qing Spa above Qing Bar at 110<br />
Pasteur St. For US$13 (PHP558), you<br />
get hot tea and a one-hour massage.<br />
{ 179 }<br />
Esther de<br />
la Cruz<br />
PR specialist,<br />
Mandarin<br />
Media
trip journal<br />
CHINA<br />
HONG KONG<br />
COUNTRY CODE +852<br />
CURRENCY HK$1 = PHP5.53/US$0.13<br />
TOUCHDOWN The Airport Express takes 24<br />
minutes to Central and costs HK$100 (PHP553).<br />
If you take a taxi from the airport, it will cost you<br />
upwards of HK$300 (PHP1,658), depending on<br />
where you alight. www.hongkongairport.com<br />
BY DAY Take the Ngong Ping crystal cabin cable<br />
car from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping village and<br />
the Giant Buddha, and enjoy a scenic view of<br />
Hong Kong’s hills right under your feet through<br />
the glass fl oor.<br />
BY NIGHT Walk along the Avenue of Stars in<br />
Tsim Sha Tsui and look for Jackie Chan’s famous<br />
handprints. Watch Symphony of Lights at 8pm<br />
from the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade — it’s a<br />
stunning show free of charge.<br />
SLEEP For budget lodgings, BP International<br />
Kowloon (www.bpih.com.hk) in Jordan is very<br />
close to Miramar Shopping Centre, Kowloon Park<br />
and the Jade Market.<br />
{ 180 }<br />
LA Garcia<br />
associate producer<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Tsui Wah<br />
at the bottom of Lan Kwai Fong for a<br />
cha chaan teng style breakfast.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Shop at Li<br />
Yuen Street, also known as Alley-<br />
Alley, in Central.<br />
BEST DINNER Try the Thai,<br />
Malaysian or Indian food in<br />
restaurants along “Rat Alley” in Lan<br />
Kwai Fong.<br />
CHINA<br />
MACAU<br />
COUNTRY CODE +853<br />
CURRENCY MOP1 = PHP5.45/US$0.13<br />
TOUCHDOWN Upon arrival in Macau, just board<br />
the Bus AP1 from the airport to the Barrier Gate<br />
(China border). A taxi ride into the city only takes<br />
15 minutes and will cost you around MOP40–50<br />
(PHP218-273).<br />
BY DAY Visit the Ruins of St Paul’s, which is<br />
dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle. It is offi cially<br />
listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site<br />
Historic Centre of Macau. Then enjoy a delicious<br />
lunch at Fernando’s and walk off the calories.<br />
BY NIGHT Don’t miss the HK$2 billion<br />
production, The House of Dancing Water,<br />
Franco Dragone’s spectacular magical journey<br />
(thehouseofdancingwater.com). Fit in a gondola ride<br />
inside The Venetian Macao Resort too.<br />
SLEEP The Westin Resort (www.macau.com)<br />
provides excellent service and food. Or opt for the<br />
over-the-top opulence of The Venetian Macao<br />
Resort (www.venetianmacao.com).<br />
Tina<br />
Ganguly<br />
Whitwell<br />
associate director,<br />
Turner Media<br />
Solutions<br />
BEST BUYS The Portuguese egg<br />
tarts from Lord Stow’s Bakery are<br />
always a treat.<br />
INSIDER TIP A short distance<br />
from the madness of the casinos is the<br />
beautiful quaint part of Macau.<br />
MUST-TRY Do something daring<br />
and exciting: go skywalking at the<br />
Macau Tower, which is 233m above<br />
the ground.
trip journal<br />
CHINA<br />
SHANGHAI<br />
COUNTRY CODE +86<br />
CURRENCY RMB1 = PHP6.78/US$0.16<br />
TOUCHDOWN If you’re taking a cab from the<br />
airport (or anywhere in Shanghai), do ask for<br />
the fapiao (receipt). This way, in case you forget<br />
something, you have a way of tracking it down.<br />
www.shanghaiairport.com<br />
BY DAY Join a one-day bike tour with Cycle China<br />
and explore the nooks and crannies of Shanghai.<br />
You can also pretend to go apartment-hunting to get<br />
a free tour around the old lane houses in Shanghai’s<br />
French Concession area.<br />
BY NIGHT Have dinner at Kota’s Kitchen, a<br />
Beatles-themed yakitori bar-restaurant that looks<br />
like it’s straight out of Shinjuku. Or slip into your<br />
sexiest qipao (Chinese dress) and heels to go<br />
ballroom dancing at The Paramount.<br />
SLEEP For Old Shanghai glamour, check into<br />
the Fairmont Peace Hotel (www.fairmont.com/<br />
PeaceHotel). Another option is Quintet (www.<br />
quintet-shanghai.com), a fi ve-room B&B.<br />
BJ<br />
Macatulad<br />
owner/manager,<br />
Strip + Browhaus<br />
Shanghai<br />
LOCAL SPEAK Say “Pai ma<br />
pi” to fl atter someone or, literally, “to<br />
spank the horse’s *ss.”<br />
INSIDER TIP Looking for love?<br />
Check out the match-making corner<br />
in People’s Square Park.<br />
BEST DINNER Come for<br />
Restaurant Week in September,<br />
where you can enjoy fi ve-star dinners<br />
for less than PHP1,676.<br />
DID D YOU<br />
KKNOW?<br />
{ 182 }<br />
CHINA<br />
BEIJING<br />
COUNTRY CODE +86<br />
CURRENCY RMB1 = PHP6.78/US$ 0.16<br />
TOUCHDOWN Arrive at the Beijing Capital<br />
International Airport (BCIA). After clearing customs<br />
and claiming baggage, catch the downtown<br />
airport shuttles or taxis from outside the arrival<br />
lobby. en.bcia.com.cn<br />
BY DAY Spend the day exploring historical<br />
highlights of the city on foot; make sure to wear<br />
comfortable walking shoes. Trek the Mutianyu Great<br />
Wall or Jinshanling Great Wall, and then visit the<br />
Summer Palace. Remember to pack water.<br />
BY NIGHT Visit the National Center for the Arts,<br />
otherwise known as The Egg. Stroll, to admire the<br />
architecture. Walk to Tiananmen Square and the<br />
Forbidden City. For a selection of interesting bars and<br />
curio shops, head to Nanlouguxiang or Houhai Lake.<br />
SLEEP The Hilton Beijing Wangfujing offers some<br />
of the most spacious rooms in the city, and is a<br />
10-minute walk from Tiananmen Square and retail<br />
shops. www.hilton.com/Beijing-Wangfujing<br />
Owen<br />
Tiam<br />
freelance<br />
photographer<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Try the local<br />
street breakfast, jianbing — a savory<br />
crepe with egg and coriander.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Go to<br />
Panjiayuan Antique Market for curios<br />
during weekends.<br />
MUST-TRY For hole-in-the-wall<br />
eats, Xinjiang Cuisine and their<br />
Xinjiang lamb kebabs (yang rou<br />
chuanr).<br />
Shanghai is full of historic tea houses<br />
where you can just sip and relax.
trip journal<br />
CHINA<br />
GUANGZHOU<br />
COUNTRY CODE +86<br />
CURRENCY RMB1 = PHP6.78/US$ 0.16<br />
TOUCHDOWN Board the Airport Express bus<br />
from the airport, about RMB10–30 (PHP68–203).<br />
Taxis from the airport cost about RMB120<br />
(PHP813) for the 28km-long ride to Haizhu<br />
Square in the city.<br />
BY DAY Guangzhou isn’t all about the commerce.<br />
A short land trip away from the city center will take<br />
you to Lianhua Mountain in the suburb of Panyu.<br />
Here you will fi nd a Buddhist sanctuary where local<br />
residents fl ock to say their prayers.<br />
BY NIGHT Cirque du Soleil meets Ringling Bros<br />
Circus at the Chime Long International Circus.<br />
This may not really be an immersion into Chinese<br />
culture per se, but its amazing stunts make it aweinspiring<br />
nonetheless.<br />
SLEEP Try the local Jianguo Hotel in Tianhe. It<br />
provides clean and comfortable rooms of modern<br />
design at lower prices relative to globally recognized<br />
fi ve-star chains. www.jianguohotelgz.com<br />
{ 184 }<br />
Michael<br />
Gohu Yu<br />
manager of a<br />
multinational<br />
company<br />
BEST BRUNCH Southern China<br />
for dim sum, and Deluxe Restaurant in<br />
Tianhe for late morning yum cha.<br />
BEST DINNER Try Bing Sheng<br />
Cantonese restaurant. Be ready for long<br />
queues, though, as it’s very popular!<br />
INSIDER TIP Avoid paying<br />
taxi fares with RMB50 or 100 bills.<br />
Dishonest drivers swap them with<br />
fake ones on unwary passengers.<br />
TAIWAN<br />
TAIPEI<br />
COUNTRY CODE +886<br />
CURRENCY TW$1 = PHP1.44/US$0.03<br />
TOUCHDOWN Taxis to the city will cost you<br />
TW$1,100 (PHP1,582). Private bus companies run<br />
trips from both terminals, and will cost you a more<br />
manageable TW$110–140 (PHP158–201). To get<br />
around, take the MRT.<br />
BY DAY Head to the top of Taipei 101 for an<br />
aerial view of the city. Admire the grounds of CKS<br />
Memorial Hall or NTU Campus. Outdoorsy types<br />
can check out the waterfalls near Wulai or soak in<br />
the hot springs after hiking Yangmingshan.<br />
BY NIGHT Night markets are plentiful; check out<br />
Shilin, Raohe, Shida or Tonghua. Stop for food<br />
and drinks at the Taiwan Beer Bar. The teahouses<br />
in mountainous Muzha offer scenic views of Taipei<br />
via the Maokong Gondola.<br />
SLEEP Treat yourself to a night or two at Taipei’s<br />
Grand Hotel. The classical Chinese architecture<br />
and the grounds that surround the hotel are<br />
spectacular. www.grand-hotel.org<br />
Jennifer<br />
Turek<br />
blogger,<br />
groovegrrrrrl.<br />
blogspot.com<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Dàn bing<br />
or tasty egg cakes are offered in many<br />
fl avors, and can be found everywhere.<br />
INSIDER TIP “Ni hao!” (“hello”),<br />
“hao chi” (“delicious”), and “xiè xiè”<br />
(“thank you”).<br />
BEST DINNER An assortment<br />
of steamed dumplings and<br />
mouthwatering beef noodle soup —<br />
this is Taiwan at its best.
trip journal<br />
THAILAND<br />
BANGKOK<br />
COUNTRY CODE +66 (2)<br />
CURRENCY THB1 = PHP1.40/US$0.03<br />
TOUCHDOWN There is a free airport shuttle to<br />
the Public Transportation Center in town. A taxi<br />
costs THB200 (PHP280). In the city, use the<br />
BTS Skytrains and avoid the jams. Tuk-tuks are<br />
available but only for short distances.<br />
BY DAY From Bangkok, board a long-distance<br />
bus from the Eastern Bus Terminal (adjacent to the<br />
Ekkamai BTS station on Sukhumvit Road at Soi 63)<br />
and head to Pattaya. Explore the beauty of Nong<br />
Nooch Garden and watch a cultural show.<br />
BY NIGHT Enjoy dinner in Bed — Bed Supper<br />
Nightclub, that is. It’s an all-white futuristic<br />
establishment that is a restaurant, bar, club,<br />
art gallery and theater rolled into one. www.<br />
bedsupperclub.com/bangkok/en/<br />
SLEEP Stay at the hip boutique hotel, Le Fenix<br />
Sukhumvit, which is a fi ve-minute stroll from<br />
Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok’s main hub of action.<br />
www.lefenix-sukhumvit.com<br />
Kariz Annie<br />
Galapia<br />
finance/accounting<br />
specialist<br />
BEST BUYS Scout the city for<br />
the best Thai silk and spicy but<br />
sweet tamarind candy.<br />
BEST DINNER Savor the<br />
famous Thai yellow or green curry<br />
(chicken or beef). It tastes so good!<br />
MUST-TRY Why not ride an<br />
elephant? It’s something special and<br />
exciting you can tell friends when<br />
you get back.<br />
{ 186 }<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
COUNTRY CODE +65<br />
CURRENCY S$1 = PHP33.84/US$0.78<br />
TOUCHDOWN From the airport, take a taxi<br />
downtown for about S$15 (PHP507), depending on<br />
the time of day. Peak hours carry a S$3 (PHP102)<br />
surcharge. Or take the MRT and you’ll be there in<br />
about 25 minutes for about S$2 (PHP68).<br />
BY DAY First-timers to the Lion City should do<br />
a walking tour of the heritage trail. One option is<br />
to start from Merlion Park, then make your way<br />
through the civic district of Chijmes, and then to<br />
Chinatown. heritagetrails.sg<br />
BY NIGHT Chill out with friends at Coastes Bar<br />
on the sandy stretch of Siloso Beach Walk in<br />
Sentosa. Or head out to East Coast Park, where<br />
you can rent bicycles and rollerblades all day.<br />
Enjoy cocktails and dinner at the hawker center.<br />
SLEEP Book yourself in a hostel like Fernloft (www.<br />
fernloft.com), where you can hang out with fellow<br />
backpackers. Or opt for Matchbox The Concept<br />
Hostel (www.matchbox.sg), which is more upscale.<br />
Ron Cruz<br />
nurse/paramedic/<br />
blogger,<br />
www.fliptravels.<br />
com<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Kaya<br />
toast, soft-boiled eggs and white<br />
coffee from a local coffeehouse.<br />
BEST DINNER Enjoy local dishes<br />
like satay (grilled chicken or beef) at<br />
Lau Pa Sat Festival Market.<br />
INSIDER TIP Got a packed<br />
itinerary? Buy the Tourist Pass<br />
for unlimited rides on the public<br />
transport system (S$8/PHP240).
MALAYSIA<br />
KUALA LUMPUR<br />
COUNTRY CODE +60 (3)<br />
CURRENCY RM1 = PHP13.79/US$0.32<br />
TOUCHDOWN A bus will take you to downtown<br />
Kuala Lumpur from the airport for about RM10<br />
(PHP138). On the other hand, the train will get<br />
you there in half the time. Metered taxis are fast<br />
and affordable.<br />
BY DAY Ride the KL Hop-On, Hop-Off bus — it<br />
takes you to over 42 major city sights and<br />
attractions, including major shopping centers. The<br />
bus operates from 8.30am–8.30pm and the 24hour<br />
ticket costs just RM38 (PHP524).<br />
BY NIGHT Relax with friends at Sky Bar (at<br />
Traders Hotel) or Luna Bar (at Pacifi c Regency),<br />
which offer spectacular views of the Petronas Twin<br />
Towers and the magnifi cent evening skyline. Go<br />
bar-hopping along Changkat Bukit Bintang.<br />
SLEEP GTower Hotel is the fi rst fully-certifi ed<br />
green and smart property in Malaysia. It limits its<br />
carbon footprint and has stylish furnishings made<br />
of recycled material. www.GTowerhotel.com<br />
Bea<br />
Totanes<br />
marketing<br />
manager<br />
BEST BREAKFAST A hot glass<br />
of teh tarik and yummy roti canai at<br />
Pelita Nasi Kandar.<br />
BEST DINNER Try the stingray,<br />
fried oyster, grilled chicken wings and<br />
char koay teow at Jalan Alor.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Create<br />
something unique: paint your own<br />
batik at the KL Craft Complex, located<br />
along Jalan Conlay.<br />
trip journal<br />
MALAYSIA<br />
KOTA KINABALU<br />
COUNTRY CODE +60 (88)<br />
CURRENCY RM1 = PHP13.79/US$0.32<br />
TOUCHDOWN The Kota Kinabalu International<br />
Airport is only 10 minutes away by taxi, which<br />
usually costs about RM20 (PHP276). Be sure to<br />
negotiate and agree on the fare before you step<br />
into the cab.<br />
BY DAY The city is known for its tallest mountain,<br />
Mt Kinabalu, which draws climbers from all over<br />
the region. The Lok Kawi Wildlife Park showcases<br />
exotic animals like orangutans and the Sumatran<br />
rhinoceros.<br />
BY NIGHT Scuba dive at night. Explore<br />
underwater wonders such as WWII wrecks in<br />
the dark at over 20 diving sites. Or you can chill<br />
at the Waterfront; Pirates Bar prepares delicious<br />
barbecue dishes.<br />
SLEEP Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, in the heart of the<br />
city, faces the South China Sea. Dip in the outdoor<br />
pool or stay fi t at the Club Olympus health club.<br />
Kinabalu.regency@hyatt.com<br />
Jeremiah<br />
Thien<br />
communications<br />
assistant<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Great fi sh<br />
noodle soup and tom yam at Wan<br />
Wan Restaurant.<br />
BEST NIGHT OUT Head to<br />
the Waterfront in Kota Kinabalu for<br />
drinks and chilling out with friends.<br />
BEST DINNER Nelayan<br />
Seafood Restaurant gives you the<br />
opportunity to watch cultural dances<br />
while having your meal.<br />
{ 187 }
SOUTH KOREA<br />
INCHEON (SEOUL)<br />
COUNTRY CODE +82<br />
CURRENCY KRW100 = PHP3.86/US$0.09<br />
TOUCHDOWN Look for taxis with stickers that<br />
say “Foreign Language Service.” Cabs can be<br />
shared except for those with black and yellow<br />
tops. Thanks to a new bridge, the trip takes 15<br />
minutes. Eight subway lines serve the main areas.<br />
BY DAY Go sightseeing at some of the city’s<br />
historical palaces. The Gyeongbokgung, built in<br />
1395, is one of the fi ve royal palaces built during<br />
the Joseon Dynasty. Its beautiful and grand<br />
façade is most impressive.<br />
BY NIGHT Head over to the arty, trendy<br />
Hongdae area surrounding Hongik University.<br />
Hongdae Club draws students and the younger set<br />
for all-night dancing. Also catch the hit production,<br />
Legend of Flower 2. www.sheratonwalkerhill.co.kr<br />
SLEEP Indulge yourself with a stay at W Hotel-<br />
Walkerhill, which rests on the slope of Mount<br />
Acha overlooking the Han River but is just 15<br />
minutes from Gangnam. www.wseoul.com<br />
An Su-<br />
Kyung<br />
dental hygienist<br />
BEST BREAKFAST For<br />
aromatic baked goodies, check out<br />
the Bakery at Chosun Hotel.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Take home<br />
lots of Korean ginseng for family and<br />
friends back home.<br />
BEST DINNER Be adventurous.<br />
Bring friends along to the Noryangjin<br />
Fish Market — and try the excellent<br />
raw fi sh.<br />
DID D YOU<br />
KKNOW?<br />
SEONG JOON CHO<br />
trip journal<br />
SOUTH KOREA<br />
BUSAN<br />
COUNTRY CODE +82<br />
CURRENCY KRW100 = PHP3.86/US$0.09<br />
TOUCHDOWN From the Busan Gimhae<br />
International Airport, take the bus, the Busan<br />
Subway Line or railroad line. Make sure to plan<br />
your transfers carefully, so you don’t miss your<br />
fl ights. gimhae.airport.co.kr/eng<br />
BY DAY Visit the HaeDong YongGungSa (The Water<br />
Temple), located just past Seong Jeong Beach.<br />
Ride the gondola from Oncheongjang to the top of<br />
Busan’s outer mountain range, where you can take<br />
in a panoramic view of the city.<br />
BY NIGHT Stroll along the neon-lit boardwalk<br />
of Gwangali Beach. The Diamond Bridge is lit up<br />
beautifully, and the cafés and restaurants along the<br />
beach provide great views of the water. Seomyeon<br />
is another fun area full of bars and restaurants.<br />
SLEEP The Westin Chosun Hotel is a fabulous<br />
hotel with a great location on Haeundae beach.<br />
The rooms are beautiful and the staff incredibly<br />
helpful. busan@chosunhotel.co.kr<br />
Amy<br />
Zimmerman<br />
English teacher<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Bucella’s,<br />
on Haeundae Beach, offers a<br />
wonderful brunch!<br />
BEST FESTIVAL The Fireworks<br />
Festival on Gwangali Beach in<br />
October is unbelievable.<br />
MUST-TRY Take a kimchi-making<br />
class — the process and the history<br />
are fascinating! Try other food or<br />
cooking classes too.<br />
{ 188 }<br />
INDONESIA<br />
JAKARTA<br />
COUNTRY CODE +62<br />
CURRENCY IDR100,000 = PHP480/US$11.19<br />
TOUCHDOWN Hire a Bluebird or Silverbird<br />
taxi from the airport to the city, which costs<br />
IDR180,000 (PHP865), plus toll. Alternatively,<br />
the DAMRI bus goes to any city bus station for a<br />
very manageable IDR15,000 (PHP72).<br />
BY DAY Shop for vintage clothing at Pasar Senen.<br />
Hold on to your wallet, and don’t bring expensive<br />
items when shopping here. If you’re into fancier<br />
boutiques, head south to Kemang Raya. You’ll fi nd<br />
amazing furniture and clothing.<br />
BY NIGHT Dine on the best nasi uduk (steamed<br />
rice cooked in coconut milk) in town at Kebon<br />
Kacang, Central Jakarta. Then chill out at Ocha<br />
Bella (www.ochaandbella.com) in Wahid Hasyim<br />
for the great ambience and excellent lychee tea.<br />
SLEEP Harris Hotel in Kelapa Gading is a<br />
relatively new, budget-friendly establishment<br />
that’s right next to a shopping mall. kelapagadingjakarta.harrishotels.com<br />
Admira<br />
Pustika<br />
graphic designer<br />
and artist<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Bubur<br />
ayam (chicken porridge) with cakwe<br />
(dough fritter) at Gelora Bung Karno.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS At Plaza<br />
Indonesia, fi nd “The Goods Dept” for<br />
curated items by local designers.<br />
BEST DINNER Hawkers are the<br />
best! Try the noodle dish mie blo’on<br />
at Menteng, a pushcart next to St<br />
Theresia Church.<br />
Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) was recently voted as the best<br />
Korean dish in Seoul by foreign nationals.
trip journal<br />
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM<br />
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN<br />
COUNTRY CODE +673<br />
CURRENCY BND1 = PHP34.21/US$0.80<br />
TOUCHDOWN The international airport is<br />
approximately 10 minutes (about 10km) from the<br />
center of Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB). There are<br />
taxis, car rentals and regular public bus services<br />
that can take you to and from the airport.<br />
BY DAY Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, one<br />
of Southeast Asia’s most impressive mosques, is<br />
named after Brunei’s 28th sultan. It boasts granite<br />
from Shanghai, chandeliers and stained glass from<br />
England, and Italian marble, to name a few.<br />
BY NIGHT Head over to Gadong Pasar Alam<br />
(night market). You’ll fi nd fresh vegetables and<br />
cooked food at countless stalls: nasi katok (fried<br />
chicken), nasi lemak (chicken with coconutfl<br />
avored rice) and, if you dare, chicken butt.<br />
SLEEP For budget travelers, Grand City Hotel<br />
provides good value and decent lodgings. About<br />
fi ve to 10 minutes from the airport, it’s also close<br />
to small shops, restaurants and streetside cafés.<br />
BEST BREAKFAST The Empire<br />
Hotel buffet or nasi katok at a local<br />
cafeteria.<br />
BEST DINNER Bob Ume<br />
Restaurant in Tamu Selera serves great<br />
seafood at affordable prices.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Nothing is<br />
better than your own photographs<br />
and your experience in Brunei —<br />
these are priceless.<br />
{ 190 }<br />
Ben Lo<br />
inbound tour<br />
coordinator<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
MANILA<br />
AREA CODE (02)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN From the airport, the ride to<br />
commercial centers takes 30 minutes to an hour,<br />
depending on traffi c and where you’re headed.<br />
Pay around PHP450 to hire registered airport<br />
taxis, but metered cabs are also available.<br />
BY DAY Take a tour of Intramuros, formerly the<br />
nerve center of the Spanish occupation in the<br />
Philippines, and home to several thousand Spanish<br />
colonists. It is now a prominent tourist spot where<br />
visitors can experience Spanish-era Manila.<br />
BY NIGHT Hang out at the Resorts World<br />
Casino, where you will fi nd numerous high-end<br />
shops, bars, coffee shops, restaurants and a<br />
3D cinema as well. It is located just across the<br />
Terminal 3 airport.<br />
SLEEP For budget-conscious travelers who just<br />
need a comfortable and clean place to crash,<br />
Salem Domestic Guesthouse is the most affordable.<br />
Tel: +63 (916) 429 1111<br />
Mike Nocom<br />
entrepreneur<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Geni’s<br />
Fusion cuisine along Domestic Road<br />
has some of the best coffee.<br />
MUST-TRY Try gas-powered offroad<br />
RC racing at Xtreme Toys, SM<br />
Mall of Asia.<br />
INSIDER TIP Be safe and aware<br />
of your surroundings. Have a hotel<br />
in mind before you take a cab at<br />
the airport.
PHILIPPINES<br />
LAOAG<br />
AREA CODE (77)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN You can hire a van, jeepney<br />
or tricycle from the Laoag airport to get to your<br />
destination in town. However, an eco-friendly<br />
means of getting around the city is the kalesa or<br />
horse-drawn carriage.<br />
BY DAY Wait up for the sunrise at the La Paz<br />
sand dunes. An alternative way to enjoy the<br />
dunes is to ride through them on a 4x4 or go sand<br />
boarding. After which, enjoy a kalesa ride around<br />
the city and try the street foods along the way.<br />
BY NIGHT For dinner, visit La Preciosa for their<br />
amazing menu of Ilocano and international<br />
cuisines. Visit the Provincial Capitol, which is best<br />
viewed in the evening with its picturesque fountain<br />
and lights.<br />
SLEEP Renzo Hotel is located within the vicinity<br />
of Laoag Centro. For your convenience, it has a<br />
supermarket, souvenir and coffee shop inside.<br />
www.laoagrenzohotel.com<br />
Marie Stella<br />
U. Gaspar<br />
student<br />
BEST DINNER The Bagbet (a<br />
mix of bagnet and pinakbet) and<br />
Puqui-Puqui at La Preciosa.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Basi and<br />
Bugnay wines, sukang (vinegar)<br />
Iluko, longganisa and bawang.<br />
INSIDER TIP The weather in<br />
the city is unpredictable, so it is best<br />
to bring an umbrella at all times, to<br />
be prepared.<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
TUGUEGARAO<br />
AREA CODE (78)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN To get to town, you take two<br />
tricycles: one from the airport to the main road,<br />
and then another to the town proper. It should cost<br />
you no more than just PHP10 per ride. And the<br />
rides are fairly short.<br />
BY DAY For the spiritual, there are a number of<br />
churches to visit: Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral; the<br />
San Jacinto Church; St Paul University Church;<br />
and the Basilica of Piat. For the adventurous, try<br />
spelunking at the Callao Caves.<br />
BY NIGHT Enjoy a delicious dinner at Kainang<br />
Pilipino, where you can taste local fare. Don’t miss<br />
out on their specialty, crispy pata. After dinner,<br />
head to nearby Hotel Carmelita for a fun night of<br />
karaoke.<br />
SLEEP Las Palmas de San Jose is a<br />
Mediterranean-inspired hotel and resort in San<br />
Jose Village. It offers clean rooms and a homey<br />
atmosphere. www.laspalmas.com.ph<br />
LOCAL SPEAK Use “silya”<br />
(left) and “manu” (right) when giving<br />
directions to a local driver.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Machetes<br />
and knives can be bought along the<br />
highway in Brgy Larion.<br />
INSIDER TIP Know that<br />
you have three choices when riding<br />
a tricycle: capacity, special or<br />
double pay.<br />
{ 191 }<br />
Jeremy<br />
Villasis<br />
travel<br />
photographer<br />
LESTER LEDESMA
EDGAR ALAN ZETA YAP<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
CAUAYAN<br />
AREA CODE (78)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN The airport in Cauayan opened<br />
in 2008. Upon landing, ask the Cebu Pacifi c<br />
staff for advice regarding transport to get to your<br />
lodgings. Buses and jeepneys travel from the<br />
airport to town.<br />
BY DAY Go shopping around the city and be sure<br />
to haggle for the best price, as the majority of the<br />
local stores there are generous in giving discounts.<br />
Don’t forget to visit the Isabela souvenir shop,<br />
which is located beside the City Hall.<br />
BY NIGHT Night-time in Cauayan is not as busy<br />
as the other cities in the metro, but you can still<br />
fi nd good places to relax and hang out with good<br />
friends. To rejuvenate, go to Moki Thai Massage or<br />
check the newly opened Zen Bamboo Spa.<br />
SLEEP Stay at The Hotel Andrea — it’s along<br />
Canciller St at the heart of the city. Put up your<br />
feet and enjoy a hot shower after a long day.<br />
www.thehotelandrea.com<br />
{ 192 }<br />
Ferdie Tan<br />
businessman<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Aling<br />
Luring’s sirkele, which is similar to<br />
dinuguan but not quite.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Isabela<br />
items like the miniature botaka or<br />
lazy chair.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK “Mano” (How<br />
much?), “Awan ti tawar” (No<br />
discount?), and “Dyak ma awatan”<br />
(I can’t understand).<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
CLARK<br />
AREA CODE (45)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN From Diosdado Macapagal<br />
International Airport (DMIA), you can take a taxi,<br />
bus or jeep to the city. Any of these will take you<br />
to the terminal or SM Clark. Within town, there are<br />
cabs and jeeps. You can also hire a car or van.<br />
BY DAY Got an adventurous spirit? Visit the<br />
Miamit Falls and drop by the Aeta Village of<br />
Sapang Uwak in Porac, Pampanga. Or go on a<br />
4x4 ride at Sapang Bato and be fascinated by the<br />
sand cliffs as you cruise along the riverbed.<br />
BY NIGHT There are four casinos inside Clark<br />
where one could — quite literally — spend the<br />
night away. Enjoy the nightlife and the lights by<br />
walking through Fields Ave, the bar and restaurant<br />
strip along Balibago, Angeles City.<br />
SLEEP Try Oasis Hotel along Clarkview in<br />
Balibago. It’s one of the newest hotels, and its<br />
amenities include a pool and a pub with live<br />
artists. www.oasishotel.com.ph<br />
Emmanuel<br />
T. So<br />
businessman<br />
BEST DINNER C’ Italian Dining<br />
or Sylvia’s San Fernando for the<br />
best local food.<br />
BEST BUYS Halo-halo at<br />
Kabigting’s, and carabao milk-based<br />
candies of Carreon in Magalang.<br />
MUST-TRY Take one day to<br />
explore and trek Mt Pinatubo<br />
during the summer. You’ll enjoy the<br />
experience and the views.
JERRY LIM LEE<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
NAGA<br />
AREA CODE (54)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Naga City Airport is about 12km<br />
from the city center, accessible by many forms<br />
of transportation including bus, van, jeepney and<br />
tricycle. You may also hire an eight-seat kalesa to<br />
tour the city.<br />
BY DAY The city has its own eco-trail and nature<br />
park on Mt Isarog. One could take a hike, bike or<br />
run on the trail, which starts in Panicuason village<br />
to the peaks of Mt. Isarog. Or just stroll through the<br />
city to shop or dine.<br />
BY NIGHT Night-time is alive in the city of<br />
Naga. The Magsaysay commercial district hosts<br />
a long line of bars, clubs and restaurants. You<br />
can also choose from high-end restaurants and<br />
international cafés.<br />
SLEEP There are many places to stay in Naga<br />
City, but the most famous of all is the Avenue<br />
Plaza Hotel, the only four-star hotel. www.<br />
theavenueplazahotel.com/aph/hotel.html<br />
Shiena Marino<br />
Barrameda<br />
freelance newspaper<br />
journalist and<br />
broadcaster<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Kinalas<br />
(beef noodle soup) and toasted<br />
siopao at Dayangdang.<br />
BEST DINNER Get your fi ll of<br />
native Filipino dishes at Bigg’s and<br />
Geewan restaurants.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS The<br />
prettiest souvenirs are handwoven<br />
bags and items made out of water<br />
hyacinth.<br />
KARA SANTOS<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
VIRAC<br />
AREA CODE (86)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Jeepneys and buses ply the<br />
main thoroughfares of Catanduanes. Tricycles are<br />
also a popular means of transport. On the other<br />
hand, most hotels in the area can arrange for your<br />
pick-up from the airport.<br />
BY DAY Set out to Baras where Puraran Beach<br />
Resort is and surf on its great waves. You can also<br />
visit Twin Rock Beach Resort for other activities<br />
like zip lining, wall climbing and kayaking. There<br />
are a lot of activities to keep you on the go.<br />
BY NIGHT Unwind and have a light beer at<br />
Seabreeze Resto with your friends. The place<br />
is known for its great, relaxing and romantic<br />
ambience. It’s actually even perfect for a night out<br />
with your loved one.<br />
SLEEP Kemji Resort in San Isidro village has<br />
a swimming pool and Wi-Fi access for those<br />
who want to keep in touch. Even better, it is just<br />
walking distance from the airport.<br />
BEST DINNER Try kaldereta —<br />
one of the all-time favorite dishes of<br />
Pinoys — from Sandy’s Blossoms.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Pili nuts<br />
and abaca-made products like bags<br />
and slippers.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK Always<br />
fi nish your phrases with “tabi.” It<br />
shows that you’re a respectful and<br />
considerate person.<br />
{ 195 }<br />
Priscilla<br />
Milagrosa<br />
former customer<br />
service agent
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
LEGAZPI<br />
AREA CODE (52)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Tricycles and vans are available<br />
to take you in and around Legazpi. From the<br />
airport, you can also easily hire a taxi to take you<br />
and your luggage into the city proper or directly to<br />
your hotel or inn.<br />
BY DAY Head to Mayon Volcano’s slope for a day<br />
hike. If you want to enjoy its perfect cone from<br />
afar, go to the Cagsawa Ruins, where the belfry of<br />
the church stands as a reminder of Mayon’s fury.<br />
You can also go to the Legazpi City Museum.<br />
BY NIGHT The best way to cap your day is to<br />
go to Lignon Hill, have warm coffee, and catch<br />
the wonderful play of colors as the sun sets. This<br />
lookout offers a view of the twinkling city lights on<br />
one side and Mayon Volcano on the other.<br />
SLEEP Legazpi City is proud to offer quality inns<br />
and hotels suitable for all budgets. The famous<br />
fi ve-star Mayon International Hotel will open<br />
before the year ends.<br />
{ 196 }<br />
Rochene R.<br />
Vergara<br />
tour guide<br />
MUST-TRY Brave the authentic<br />
Bicol Express in Sambalas Grille at<br />
the LKY Grand Terminal.<br />
INSIDER TIP Never leave town<br />
without trying Colonial Grill’s sili<br />
ice cream.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Trendy<br />
abaca bags, cool wall decor and<br />
fridge magnets at the Ibalong<br />
Pasalubong Center.<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
CATARMAN<br />
AREA CODE (55)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Tricycles are just a few steps<br />
away from the arrival hall of the airport. A<br />
15-minute ride takes you to Catarman proper for<br />
PHP10 per passenger. To rent a private tricycle, all<br />
you need to pay is PHP60.<br />
BY DAY Spend a relaxing day at the Pink Beach<br />
Resort and simply enjoy the sun, sand and sea.<br />
As its name implies, the beach is known for its fi ne<br />
pinkish sand. Pink Beach Resort is conveniently<br />
located at Brgy Sila.<br />
BY NIGHT Unwind and check out the various<br />
night spots such as Tsiban. Or head to Barrio<br />
Otso and enjoy listening to some mellow<br />
music. Both places have live bands you can<br />
listen to or sing along with.<br />
SLEEP For a homey atmosphere and accessibility<br />
to the airport, try Bahay Pinoy. Bahay Pinoy is<br />
located along Capitol Road in Brgy Dalakit. Tel:<br />
+63 (920) 576 3651<br />
Virgilio<br />
“Jong” T.<br />
Lademora, Jr.<br />
air traff ic<br />
management<br />
off icer<br />
BEST DINNER Genie’s<br />
Restaurant serves Filipino favorites<br />
like bulalo, sinigang and dinuguan.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Buy<br />
native products from the airport<br />
pasalubong center or town proper.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK Impress<br />
the locals with “marasa,” which<br />
means yummy or delicious, and<br />
“mahusay” or beautiful.
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
CALBAYOG<br />
AREA CODE (55)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN You will fi nd tricycles at the<br />
designated parking area after coming out of the<br />
airport terminal building. These vehicles are<br />
also typically the sole means of transport in and<br />
around the city.<br />
BY DAY Calbayog is an ideal place to get a sense<br />
of history, art and architectural appreciation.<br />
Visit Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral, considered<br />
the biggest church in Samar, then head off to<br />
Handuman Museo de Calbayog for art.<br />
BY NIGHT Go to S.O. Café to enjoy great coffee,<br />
great food and a great atmosphere. Local bands<br />
will serenade you every Friday. Take time to visit<br />
Matobato and savor a slice of bibingka and other<br />
rice cakes at the Daguman Store.<br />
SLEEP For high-end accommodations, stay at<br />
Ciriaco Hotel and Resort at Km. 745 Maharlika<br />
Highway, Bagacay or Sophia Diane Hotel and<br />
Restaurant in Carmen, Calbayog City.<br />
MUST-TRY Dance on the beach<br />
during the famous Soleda in honor of<br />
Nuestra Señora de la Soledad.<br />
INSIDER TIP This month, food<br />
buffs should try the banchettos<br />
(midnight markets).<br />
BEST BUYS Tinapa (smoked<br />
fi sh), sinakugan (red sticky rice<br />
cooked in coconut milk) and tablea<br />
(unprocessed chocolate).<br />
{ 198 }<br />
NELSON PETILLA<br />
Ryan<br />
Babon<br />
project manager,<br />
NEDA Central<br />
Off ice<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
DUMAGUETE<br />
AREA CODE (35)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN There are taxis to help you get<br />
around the city, as well as jeepneys and pedicabs<br />
(which are powered by a bicycle). Once in town,<br />
you can also rent a motorbike, which is a really<br />
fun way to get to where you need to go.<br />
BY DAY Go to Silliman University and take a<br />
requisite photograph of century-old Silliman Hall,<br />
which was built in 1909 in the Eastern Stick style<br />
of American architecture. Visit the Anthropological<br />
Museum (housed in Silliman Hall) too.<br />
BY NIGHT Stroll down Dumaguete Boulevard<br />
for a whiff of sea air and to watch locals relaxing<br />
under the cooling canopies of giant acacia trees.<br />
Take a seat at one of many makeshift stalls selling<br />
tempura and balut (boiled fertilized egg).<br />
SLEEP The better hotels are found outside the<br />
city. There are many resorts close to the beach,<br />
such as in Dauin, about 20 minutes from the city.<br />
Atmosphere gets high marks.<br />
Ruby<br />
Escosa<br />
market research<br />
consultant<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Gabby’s<br />
Bistro in Florentina Homes is<br />
popular among the locals.<br />
BEST BUYS Take home a box of<br />
sans rival or silvana from Sans Rival<br />
Cakes and Pastries.<br />
MUST-TRY Go to Apo Island and<br />
swim with the pawikan (sea turtles),<br />
and ogle at the variety of clown<br />
fi shes and giant corals.<br />
JOHN LANDER
LESTER LEDESMA<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
BACOLOD<br />
AREA CODE (34)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN One arrives in Negros through<br />
the Bacolod-Silay airport in Silay City. That’s<br />
about 15km northeast of Bacolod City, or about<br />
a 30-minute drive if there are no traffi c jams. In<br />
Bacolod, there are plenty of tricycles.<br />
BY DAY Take a city tour that includes the Negros<br />
Museum, the Pope John Paul II Tower which<br />
houses his relic, and the Barangay sang Birhen<br />
chapel’s altar made of fi ne, natural shells. Visit the<br />
certifi ed organic farms in Silay and Bago.<br />
BY NIGHT After the ribs dinner at Ribhouse, walk<br />
the grounds of the Bacolod Government Center to<br />
check out the music and water fountain. Then end<br />
your evening with a treatment at the O’Fisher Spa<br />
& Wellness Center.<br />
SLEEP East View Hotel, which is barely two years<br />
old, has spacious rooms and soft beds. It is within<br />
walking distance of banks, malls, restaurants and<br />
call centers. www.eastviewhotel.com<br />
{ 200 }<br />
Maricar J.<br />
Dabao<br />
tour operator<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Masskara<br />
T-shirts by Azatri, which are available<br />
at Merci Pasalubong Centers.<br />
BEST BUYS Dried fi sh at Central<br />
Market and fashion accessories at the<br />
Negros Showroom.<br />
MUST-TRY Never leave Bacolod<br />
without passing by Merci Pasalubong<br />
Center (www.merci.com.ph) and eating<br />
chicken inasal at Manokan Country.<br />
DID D YOU<br />
KKNOW?<br />
WALTER VILLA<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
ILOILO<br />
AREA CODE (33)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN There are taxi services available<br />
from PHP300 upwards. You can also hire<br />
metered cabs right outside the airport. It’s a 30- to<br />
45-minute ride to the city. Within the city, there<br />
are tricycles and jeepneys.<br />
BY DAY Visit the beautiful heritage churches of<br />
Iloilo: Jaro, Molo, Miagao, Lapaz and Villa. Iloilo<br />
is a food haven, so savoring Ilonggo cuisine like<br />
batchoy is a must. Tour the city by simply talking<br />
a leisurely walk around.<br />
BY NIGHT Everyone will tell you not to miss<br />
Smallville, which is considered Iloilo’s central<br />
nightlife spot. Have some booze and baby back<br />
ribs at Bourbon Street and Freska, if you still<br />
haven’t had enough of Ilonggo cuisine.<br />
SLEEP Sarabia Manor Hotel along General Luna<br />
St is spacious and has an excellent location.<br />
Rooms start at PHP800++ per night for simple<br />
accommodations. www.sarabiamanorhotel.com<br />
Jill J.<br />
Villanueva<br />
marketing<br />
practitioner<br />
BEST BUYS Iloilo delicacies<br />
like biscocho, barquillos and<br />
butterscotch at Biscocho Haus.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK “Namit!”<br />
means “Delicious!” and “Kaon ta!”<br />
means “Let’s eat!”<br />
BEST FESTIVAL Don’t miss<br />
the Dinagyang Festival, which<br />
happens every fourth Sunday of<br />
January.<br />
For a glimpse of Iloilo’s intriguing past,<br />
head to Calle Real.
GEORGE CABIG<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
SAN JOSE<br />
AREA CODE (43)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN You can take a tricycle from right<br />
outside the airport to the town center for about<br />
PHP50, inclusive of tip. To get around town, you<br />
either walk or take tricycles, which are cheap and<br />
easy to fi nd.<br />
BY DAY Take an island trip to Islang Puti for its<br />
white sand. There’s also the Inasakan Beach in<br />
Iling Island, a small cove with powdery sand and<br />
serene waters — excellent for swimming, partying<br />
or even meditation.<br />
BY NIGHT The town plaza is the most popular<br />
place for promenading because the ambience is<br />
casual and relaxing. It is perhaps one of the best<br />
town parks in the country today, with its acacia<br />
trees, manicured gardens and playground.<br />
SLEEP Aroma Center Family Resort and Hotel<br />
offers comfortable lodging at affordable prices. It<br />
has one of the best locations, being closest to the<br />
town proper. Tel: +63 (947) 476 1821<br />
Mariboy<br />
Asenjo<br />
Ysibido<br />
PR/information off icer,<br />
LGU-San Jose<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Necklaces<br />
and bracelets from the Mangyan<br />
tribes of San Jose.<br />
MUST-TRY Mountain climbing<br />
at Devil’s Mountain, located at Brgy<br />
Batasan.<br />
BEST FESTIVAL The Indak<br />
Pandurukan Street Dance, a few<br />
days before the fi esta every fi rst of<br />
May in honor of St Joseph.<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
CATICLAN (BORACAY)<br />
AREA CODE (36)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Take a short tricycle ride to the<br />
Caticlan Jetty Port. From there, board a banca<br />
that will transport you to Boracay Island. Here, the<br />
main mode of transport is the tricycle, and they<br />
are cheap and plentiful.<br />
BY DAY Bask under the sun of Puka Beach, a<br />
quiet stretch of white sand along the northern<br />
tip of the island. It is a good spot for a picnic,<br />
and there are fewer tourists so you will not be<br />
competing for space.<br />
BY NIGHT Boracay nightlife would not be<br />
complete without taking in the party scene at<br />
Stations 1 and 2. Epic Bar, Guilly’s Island and<br />
Summer Place are the hottest places to dance,<br />
drink and be merry.<br />
SLEEP Alta Vista de Boracay provides guests a<br />
sense of privacy. They also have free shuttles to<br />
and from Station 2 at certain hours. Tel: +63 (36)<br />
288 9888<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Real<br />
Coffee and Tea Café’s calamansi<br />
muffi n and funky monkey drink.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Boracay<br />
straw hats in different colors,<br />
sandos, shirts and henna tattoos!<br />
INSIDER TIP Happy hour<br />
cocktails are from 3pm–6pm at<br />
Friday’s Station 1. Go to Jonah’s for<br />
the fruit shake variety.<br />
{ 203 }<br />
Odette<br />
Paulino<br />
sponsorships<br />
off icer, PBA
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
KALIBO<br />
AREA CODE (36)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN From the airport, the best way<br />
to get to the city center is by tricycle — it’s cheap<br />
and the Kalibo version is larger than the ones in<br />
Manila. It can accommodate six adults, including<br />
the driver.<br />
BY DAY Stroll along Bakhawan Eco Park at New<br />
Buswang, Kalibo. A visit to the Aklan Museum<br />
and freedom marker of the 19 Martyrs of Aklan<br />
will complete your journey to the history and<br />
culture of Akeanons.<br />
BY NIGHT Unwind at fi ne dining restaurants and<br />
cafés like Saylo, Café Latte and Kitty’s. For music<br />
and band lovers, you could try hanging out in La<br />
Senoritas and Mezzanine Café. Go to Q-Zone for<br />
bowling after.<br />
SLEEP A good night’s sleep in Marzon Hotel<br />
comes easy for weary travellers. Its rooms are<br />
clean and cozy, and come with wide-screen fl at<br />
TVs. info@marzonboracay.com<br />
BEST FESTIVAL The worldfamous<br />
Sto Nino Ati-Atihan Festival<br />
every third week of January.<br />
BEST DINNER Taste the native<br />
lechon in Kalibo at RML Restaurant<br />
along Toting Reyes St.<br />
INSIDER TIP A tricycle ride is<br />
only PHP8 at any destination within<br />
1km. You can also hire one for the<br />
day as your private tour guide.<br />
{ 204 }<br />
WALTER VILLA<br />
Lowell N.<br />
Rublico<br />
high school principal,<br />
Paref-Westbridge<br />
School<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
CEBU<br />
AREA CODE (32)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN At the Mactan Airport, it’s pretty<br />
easy to hire a taxi service or even a private car<br />
to take you to the city center. If you’re staying for<br />
more than a few days, you can hire a car for that<br />
time. There are metered cabs by the terminal too.<br />
BY DAY Head north of Cebu to Liloan and enjoy<br />
a fresh catch of seafood at Co Jordan’s Bangus<br />
and Talaba Farm. While waiting for your food to<br />
be served, hook the bait and discover the art of<br />
fi shing. Drop by Lita’s Halo Halo for dessert.<br />
BY NIGHT If you want to veer away from the<br />
club scene, chill and unwind with some imported<br />
wine and beer at the Urban Cellar. Its English pub<br />
interiors give you that medieval feel while you<br />
enjoy their deli and gourmet sausages.<br />
SLEEP Have a comfortable stay at the Islands<br />
Stay Hotel for as low as PHP850 a night. Their<br />
branches in Mactan and uptown Cebu are near<br />
tourist spots. www.islandsstay.com<br />
Anya Lim<br />
social<br />
entrepreneur<br />
BEST DINNER Visit Alejandro’s<br />
Filipino Resto — home of the best<br />
crispy pata in town.<br />
BEST BUYS Shop at ANTHILL<br />
Fabric Gallery to fi nd local crafts and<br />
fabric by-products.<br />
INSIDER TIP Let www.<br />
zerothreetwo.com be your offi cial<br />
city guide when you plan your<br />
itinerary.
LESTER LEDESMA<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
PUERTO PRINCESA<br />
AREA CODE (48)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Most hotels in Palawan can<br />
arrange to have you picked up at the airport.<br />
Tricycles to the city center cost about PHP35.<br />
Vans are also available for hire and are not<br />
too costly.<br />
BY DAY Swim and snorkel in Honda Bay,<br />
and stay overnight in Sabang after visiting the<br />
Underground River. Sabang Beach is stunning and<br />
such a nice place to hang out. There are a lot of<br />
affordable resorts if you want electricity all night.<br />
BY NIGHT Check out Palawan’s nightlife. There’s<br />
live music at Katabom Bar on Rizal Ave every<br />
night. It’s especially fun on Wednesday and<br />
Saturday nights when Palawan’s best band, Mitu’s<br />
Tribe, plays.<br />
SLEEP Hibiscus Garden Inn is a refreshing<br />
change from the usual boxy hotel room. It’s<br />
cozy, affordable and quaint, like Palawan itself.<br />
hibiscusgardeninn@gmail.com<br />
{ 206 }<br />
Amina<br />
Evangelista-<br />
Swanepoel<br />
executive director,<br />
Roots of Health<br />
BEST LUNCH Heavenly Desserts<br />
by Dorothy on Lacao St, in front of<br />
NCC department store.<br />
BEST BUYS Quality yet affordable<br />
placemats, bags, blinds, baskets and<br />
other woven goods at Binuatan.<br />
MUST-TRY If you have a car, head<br />
to the beautiful Nagtabon Beach for its<br />
white sand and crystal-clear waters.<br />
You can go island-hopping too.<br />
DID D YOU<br />
KKNOW?<br />
AL LINSANGAN<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
BUSUANGA (CORON)<br />
AREA CODE (48)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN From the airport, take a shuttle<br />
to the town proper of Coron, which will cost about<br />
PHP150 per person. The ride takes 45 minutes<br />
to one hour. Call for more information. Tel: +63<br />
(928) 408 3105, (921) 265 2210<br />
BY DAY The best attractions include Kayangan<br />
Lake and the Twin Lagoons. There are many<br />
islands and beaches to visit, but try not to miss<br />
Malcapuya. It may be farther to travel to by boat<br />
compared to the other islands, but it is worth it.<br />
BY NIGHT For a sumptuous dinner, Bistro Coron<br />
is a must. It is a quaint restaurant located in the<br />
city proper, popular for its food and drinks; try<br />
the Bistro Pizza. They also have a very extensive<br />
menu and reasonable prices.<br />
SLEEP Try Sunz En Coron for a unique resort<br />
experience. They have an amazing swimming<br />
pool that changes colors from blue, green to<br />
purple and pink. www.sunzencoron.com<br />
Anton V.<br />
Gregory<br />
advertising<br />
professional<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS The great<br />
photographs you’ll compile from all<br />
the breathtaking sights.<br />
MUST-TRY Go diving and see<br />
the remains of the shipwrecked<br />
WWII Japanese warships.<br />
INSIDER TIP Bring enough<br />
cash. Not many restaurants accept<br />
credit cards and there aren’t many<br />
ATMs around.<br />
The sunken Japanese warships off<br />
Coron make a good diving site.
LESTER LEDESMA<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
TACLOBAN<br />
AREA CODE (53)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN From the airport to the downtown<br />
area, a van (PHP300) is most convenient as it will<br />
drop you off at your hotel. There are multi-cabs,<br />
jeepneys and tricycles too. You can also hire a car<br />
for longer stays.<br />
BY DAY Wear your explorer’s hat and take a<br />
road trip! Tacloban is near numerous historical<br />
landmarks such as the MacArthur Memorial Park<br />
in Palo, and natural wonders like the magnifi cent<br />
Sohoton Caves in Basey.<br />
BY NIGHT Enjoy a good dinner at San Pedro Bay<br />
Marina. The delicious food, as well as the great<br />
view, will defi nitely leave a lasting impression.<br />
Don’t forget to visit the San Juanico Bridge at<br />
night. The view is simply spectacular.<br />
SLEEP The Leyte Park Hotel along Magsaysay<br />
Boulevard is highly accessible and close to almost<br />
all business establishments, making it a practical<br />
place to stay in. www.leyteparkhotel.com.ph<br />
{ 208 }<br />
Christopher<br />
D. Geli<br />
architect<br />
BEST BREAKFAST Hotel<br />
Alejandro’s Café Teresa serves a<br />
variety of Filipino favorites.<br />
INSIDER TIP Check out the<br />
Tacloban Facebook page for the<br />
latest events and things to do.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK “Marisyo an<br />
ak pag-ukoy dinhi! Mabalik ako!”<br />
translates to “I had fun staying here!<br />
I’ll be back!”<br />
WALTER VILLA<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
TAGBILARAN<br />
AREA CODE (38)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.20)<br />
TOUCHDOWN The airport is within the city, and<br />
there are plenty of tricycles at PHP6 for a ride.<br />
For trips to nearby towns, there are vans and taxis<br />
for hire. It only takes about 20 minutes to get to<br />
Panglao Island as traffi c jams are rare.<br />
BY DAY Visit the Baclayon Church, one of the<br />
oldest coral churches in Asia. Have lunch onboard<br />
the Loboc River Cruise and enjoy live music. Or<br />
relax to a full body massage at the Bohol Bee<br />
Farm for only PHP500.<br />
BY NIGHT Have dinner and drinks at the Aplaya<br />
Bar and Restaurant in Bluewater Panglao Beach<br />
Resort. Ask Chef Jet to surprise your palate with a<br />
concoction not listed on the menu. But whatever’s<br />
there is really good too.<br />
SLEEP Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort has a<br />
spa, two swimming pools, deluxe rooms and villas<br />
which are spacious and beautifully designed.<br />
www.bluewater.com.ph<br />
Inna<br />
Angeles<br />
business owner<br />
BEST DINNER Amorita Resort<br />
comes highly recommended as a<br />
go-to dinner place when in Panglao.<br />
MUST-TRY Snorkeling and<br />
diving at the Marine Sanctuary, and<br />
the new Loboc Zipline Adventure.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Various<br />
spreads from the Bohol Bee Farm:<br />
pesto, malunggay, honey and<br />
coriander
PHILIPPINES<br />
ZAMBOANGA<br />
AREA CODE (62)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN From the airport, take a jeepney<br />
(PHP7) or tricycle (PHP20–25) to the pueblo (city)<br />
as there are only a few taxis. Plissap Rent-A-Car<br />
charges a minimum of PHP150, and may be the<br />
best way to go.<br />
BY DAY Go shopping for cheap souvenirs at<br />
Pasalubong in Canelar, Barter. Try Zamboanga’s<br />
best seafood delicacies at Alavar Seafood<br />
Restaurant. Visit Fort Pilar shrine and the National<br />
Museum to discover the city’s Spanish heritage.<br />
BY NIGHT Dine at Lantaka Hotel and enjoy a<br />
sumptuous dinner overlooking the sea. Go to<br />
Knickerbocker Glory at the Paseo del Mar for<br />
dessert. Finally, have your night cap at the Lobby<br />
Bar of the Garden Orchid Hotel.<br />
SLEEP Get a good night’s sleep at Garden Orchid<br />
Hotel along Governor Camins Ave. It is just<br />
minutes away from the city’s international airport.<br />
info@gardenorchidhotel.com<br />
Kristine<br />
Lafuente<br />
Collado<br />
fund accountant<br />
BEST DINNER If you love<br />
seafood, you shouldn’t miss the crabs<br />
at Alavar Seafood Restaurant.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Watch out<br />
for pretty cultured pearl sets, malong<br />
and batik.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK Practice saying<br />
“gracias,” which means “thank you”<br />
and “buenas dias,” which means<br />
“good morning.”<br />
LESTER LEDESMA<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
GENERAL SANTOS<br />
AREA CODE (83)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Hire a taxi at the airport for a<br />
fl at rate (PHP300–350). If you don’t have much<br />
luggage, a habal-habal (passenger motorbike) for<br />
PHP100 will do. In the city, tricycles will be your<br />
main means of getting around.<br />
BY DAY Spend the whole day at the new Paraiso<br />
Verde Resort & Water Park in nearby Koronadal.<br />
Enjoy its four different world-class pools, especially<br />
the Moby Wave Experience, and go to their Aqua<br />
Food Court for a meal.<br />
BY NIGHT Check out one of the favorite local<br />
haunts, PiYESta KTV Bar & Resto. Sample its<br />
delicious home-style food and cap your night with<br />
a drink or two. Bring everyone along — the service<br />
is superb.<br />
SLEEP Stay at GenSan’s newest hotel, the Ice<br />
Castle Experience (I.C.E.) Hotel in Provido Village<br />
City Heights. This boutique hotel has its own<br />
restaurant, bar and spa. frontdesk@gensanice.com<br />
BEST DINNER Steamed crabs<br />
at Gusteau’s or the king crabs in<br />
coconut milk at Red Trellis.<br />
BEST BUYS Jinkee’s Fashion<br />
World Boutique regularly displays<br />
items used by Jinkee Pacquiao.<br />
INSIDER TIP Play pool at<br />
Pacman’s Sports Bar. Who knows,<br />
you might be lucky and even see<br />
Manny Pacquiao here.<br />
{ 209 }<br />
Orman<br />
Ortega<br />
Manansala<br />
banker
JOJIE ALCANTARA<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
DAVAO<br />
AREA CODE (82)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Francisco Bangoy International<br />
Airport or the Davao International Airport is about<br />
15 minutes away from the city center. Davaoeño<br />
cabbies are known for their honesty, so a taxi from<br />
the airport to the hotel is a good option.<br />
BY DAY Visit Paradise Beach Resort at Samal<br />
Island, which is only a 10-minute drive from the<br />
city center plus a fi ve-minute boat ride from the<br />
shore. Stop by the Davao Wakeboard Park at<br />
Mintal, 45 minutes away from the city center.<br />
BY NIGHT Jack’s Ridge is generally a quiet place<br />
to hang out and enjoy the cityscape at night. It<br />
also has bars with good music and restaurants<br />
with great food. You can even lie down on the<br />
grass in the park.<br />
SLEEP Book a room at the Metropolis Suites,<br />
a three-star hotel with fi ve-star service and<br />
amenities. It’s strategically located near the malls<br />
and the airport.<br />
{ 210 }<br />
Aileen<br />
Yutankin<br />
entrepreneur<br />
BEST DINNER Alor’s Home<br />
kitchen along Torres St serves the best<br />
home-cooked style meals and pastries.<br />
MUST-TRY Discover a unique<br />
escape with a Davao wildwater<br />
adventure.<br />
INSIDER TIP Davao is very strict<br />
with smoking in public, so always<br />
ask around before lighting up your<br />
cigarette.<br />
BOBBY TIMONERA<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
BUTUAN<br />
AREA CODE (85)<br />
CURRENCY PHP1 = US$0.02<br />
TOUCHDOWN From the airport, you can hire a<br />
taxi or van to take you to the city proper. Once in<br />
the city, do as the Butuan residents do — hop on<br />
the ubiquitous tricycle, still the main way to get<br />
from place to place.<br />
BY DAY Butuan City is rich in culture and history.<br />
You can go to the Balangay Shrine Museum<br />
to see the some-thousand-year-old boats our<br />
ancestors used to reach the Philippines. You can<br />
also visit the Banza Church Ruins.<br />
BY NIGHT Caraga Square is ideal for good food,<br />
drinks and outdoor entertainment. It is an open-air<br />
venue so you can enjoy the gentle night breeze.<br />
Butuan is a sleepy town that turns in early, so join<br />
the town in getting a good night’s sleep.<br />
SLEEP The VCDU Prince Hotel and Convention<br />
Center along South Montilla Boulevard offers<br />
reasonable rates and nice, clean rooms. www.<br />
vcduprincehotel.com<br />
AJ<br />
Garchitorena<br />
teacher<br />
MUST-TRY Margie’s<br />
Bakeshoppe has the best cakes.<br />
Plus, leave a mark on their wall!<br />
INSIDER TIP Avoid the rainy<br />
season; the city is below sea level<br />
so it fl oods.<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS T’boli<br />
earrings and bracelets, malongs,<br />
dried mangoes and Golden Tara<br />
statues.
WALTER VILLA<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
ROXAS<br />
AREA CODE (36)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN You can fi nd Capiz Cab taxis<br />
waiting in the designated areas outside the arrival<br />
area of the Roxas airport. Once you’re within the<br />
city, the tricycle remains the main means of getting<br />
around. Tel: +63 (919) 707 9224<br />
BY DAY The Baybay beach, which stretches as<br />
far as the eye can see, is a must-visit. Downtown<br />
Roxas offers a myriad things to do, from shopping<br />
at Gaisano Mall and surrounding local stores to<br />
eating at Pizza Junction or Nesta’s.<br />
BY NIGHT Try the restaurants along the beach.<br />
Nothing compares to a romantic and awesome<br />
view of the sunset while enjoying fresh seafood<br />
with beer and wine. You can also visit the San<br />
Antonio Resort, which overlooks the lagoon.<br />
SLEEP San Antonio Resort is clean and<br />
orderly, and has friendly staff. Kids will enjoy<br />
the infi nity pool and bowling alleys. www.<br />
thesanantonioresort.com<br />
Rolando de<br />
Guzman<br />
retiree<br />
BEST BUYS Foodies should<br />
make room in their bags for kakanin<br />
like baye-baye, puto and suman.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK Greet people<br />
with “Maayong aga,” which means<br />
“Good morning.”<br />
MUST-TRY Shopping at the local<br />
markets, and seeing and sampling<br />
the variety of seafood that would be<br />
hard to get anywhere else.<br />
LESTER LEDESMA<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
CAGAYAN DE ORO<br />
AREA CODE (88)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Cebu Pacifi c runs a shuttle van<br />
to town. Or you can take a taxi for PHP300 or<br />
a cheaper jeepney service for PHP20. Taxis,<br />
jeepneys, motorcycles and multi-cabs ply the<br />
town proper.<br />
BY DAY Whitewater rafting with the Bugsay River<br />
Rafting Company comes highly recommended. Go<br />
waterfall rappelling and river trekking at Mapawa<br />
Nature Park as well. If you are fond of animal<br />
farms, visit the Ostrich and Crocodile Farm in Opol.<br />
BY NIGHT On weekends, go food tripping at the<br />
famous night café along DVsoria. Better yet, go<br />
resto-hopping at the Rosario Foodstrip in Limketkai<br />
Center. Then end your day with a relaxing massage<br />
at Aqua Spa along Capistrano corner T. Chavez St.<br />
SLEEP For budget travelers, try New Dawn<br />
Pensionne along Makahambus-Velez St. Prices<br />
range from PHP800–1,200 per night. Tel: +63<br />
(8822) 721 776 or 77<br />
BEST DINNER Thai Me Up<br />
Restaurant — Cagayan de Oro’s<br />
ultimate food destination.<br />
BEST BUYS 3MK Pasalubong<br />
Center (inside Monster! Kitchen)<br />
near St Agustin Cathedral Church.<br />
INSIDER TIP Make small talk<br />
with the Cagay-anons and see for<br />
yourself why we’re tagged as “The<br />
City of Golden Friendship.”<br />
{ 211 }<br />
Jan Uy<br />
businessman
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
SURIGAO<br />
AREA CODE (86)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Upon your arrival, you can<br />
hire a jeepney or tricycle to get around the city.<br />
Although there are no taxis, most hotels offer a<br />
complimentary van pick-up from the airport as well<br />
as for departure.<br />
BY DAY Head to the “Waikiki Beach of the<br />
Philippines” when you visit Cagwait White Beach.<br />
Be captivated by the magical waters of the<br />
“Enchanted River” in Hinatuan, and the Tinuy-An<br />
Falls or the “Little Niagara of the Philippines.”<br />
BY NIGHT Grab dinner at Gold Bar Restaurant,<br />
which offers the best carbonara, kilawin, seafood<br />
and fresh lumpia in Tandag. Enjoy a live band or<br />
catch a movie while eating tasty street food at the<br />
Tandag City Boulevard.<br />
SLEEP The Villa Maria Luisa Hotel is the one of<br />
the fi nest hotels in the province. You can choose to<br />
swim at the beach or in the pool. Tel: +63 (86) 211<br />
5488/211 5499; vmlhotel.tandag@gmail.com<br />
{ 212 }<br />
Samantha<br />
Grace E.<br />
Moscoso<br />
manager,<br />
CA/CHS-MSD<br />
LOCAL SPEAK “Pila” means<br />
“How much?” and “Dinhi ra/diri<br />
lang” means “Stop here.”<br />
MUST-TRY Ride a habal-habal<br />
(motorcycle) and eat tajum/tayum<br />
(sea urchin).<br />
BEST FESTIVALS The<br />
Kaliguan Festival in June and<br />
the Lanuza Surfi ng Festival in<br />
November.<br />
DID D YOU<br />
KKNOW?<br />
EDGAR ALAN ZETA YAP<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
SIARGAO<br />
AREA CODE (86)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Taxis are available both at the<br />
airport and at Dapa Pier. You can also ride a habalhabal<br />
or an extended-seat motorbike to get to your<br />
lodgings. On the island itself, there are mini and<br />
jeepney buses.<br />
BY DAY Talk to the locals and get good deals<br />
on island hopping at Naked Island, Daku Island<br />
and Guyam Island. There’s also a really popular<br />
spot called Magpupunko, a tide pool; go there on<br />
weekdays when it isn’t packed with people.<br />
BY NIGHT Party with both the tourists and the<br />
locals at Nine Bar. After partying `til dawn, you<br />
can buy the Siargao local bread, which is simply<br />
delicious. They usually start making the bread<br />
at 4am.<br />
SLEEP Backpackers and budget travelers can go<br />
to Kabuntog Resort. They have a nice beachfront<br />
where you can swim the clear blue waters or rent<br />
a kayak.<br />
Chris<br />
Magnus O.<br />
Catelo<br />
travel<br />
photographer<br />
BEST DINNER Buy the<br />
cheapest yellow fi n tuna you can<br />
fi nd and cook it yourself.<br />
BEST BUYS Need extra shorts?<br />
You can rely on J Spot for cheap<br />
board shorts.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK It would<br />
be really nice if you could say<br />
“Maayong gabi,” which means<br />
“Good evening.”<br />
Surigao’s Mabua-Looc Stairway<br />
has 167 steps.
www.idec-aircon.com<br />
245 6870<br />
www.indigohouse.yolasite.com
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
COTABATO<br />
AREA CODE (64)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN You can hire a taxi at the airport<br />
for PHP100–200. When in the city, you can get<br />
around by tricycle or jeepney. Try hailing a cab —<br />
although there are only a few taxis that make the<br />
rounds about town.<br />
BY DAY Visit the majestic Sultan Hasanal Bolkiah<br />
Masjid, the largest mosque in the Philippines.<br />
Go to the top of the PC Hill, the highest point in<br />
Cotabato City, for an expansive view of the city<br />
and its surrounding areas.<br />
BY NIGHT Eat a sumptuous barbecue dinner for a<br />
very reasonable price in the heart of the city. Grab<br />
a cup of native coffee afterwards at Datu’s Brew.<br />
They serve delicious coffee made from the fi nest<br />
100% Arabica beans.<br />
SLEEP Stay at the newly built Alnor Hotel and<br />
Convention Center — it’s clean and located in<br />
Sinsuat Ave, at the heart of the Al-nor Commercial<br />
Complex. alnorhotel@yahoo.com<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Shop at<br />
the Barter Trade Center for colorful<br />
native souvenirs.<br />
LOCAL SPEAK Say “sukran”<br />
when thanking the Cotabato City<br />
locals.<br />
BEST FESTIVAL Witness the<br />
culturally grand Shariff Kabunsuan<br />
Festival in December. There will be a<br />
lot of events and good food.<br />
{ 214 }<br />
Bai<br />
Ashrafia<br />
Biruar<br />
lawyer<br />
DID D YOU<br />
KKNOW?<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
OZAMIZ<br />
AREA CODE (88)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN The Ozamiz City Airport is in<br />
Gango. You will need to take a taxi; the ride will<br />
set you back PHP60. Within the city, you can get<br />
around town by sikad (bicycle with a sidecar) for<br />
PHP4–6 only.<br />
BY DAY Quality Beach Resort in Lupagan Clarin<br />
has private villas with two huge rooms — perfect<br />
for big groups. It has a swimming pool, a jacuzzi<br />
and a lagoon for kayaking. Shop at Centrum<br />
Ozamiz, and have a foot spa at Quality Spa.<br />
BY NIGHT Botoy’s serves sizzling seafood and<br />
tasty lechon manok (grilled chicken). Don’t miss<br />
their balbacua (stewed beef skin) too. The Moon<br />
Café is a popular hangout and home to hearty<br />
Mexican cuisine.<br />
SLEEP The newly renovated Royal Garden Hotel<br />
is located right in the heart of the city, where you<br />
can get fi rst-class comfort at reasonable rates.<br />
www.royalgardenozamiz.com<br />
Cheryl O.<br />
Lim<br />
interior<br />
designer<br />
MUST-TRY Craving for Mexican<br />
food? Make a food stop at Moon<br />
Café!<br />
BEST DINNER La Veranda<br />
Restaurant’s sizzling lechon sisig is<br />
absolutely worth every calorie.<br />
BEST BREAKFAST The Royal<br />
King’s Breakfast at the La Veranda<br />
Restaurant, paired with hot choco<br />
and salted egg with tomatoes.<br />
Plan ahead for Cotabato’s Shariff<br />
Kabunsuan Festival in December!<br />
LESTER LEDESMA
PHILIPPINES<br />
DIPOLOG<br />
AREA CODE (65)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN There are tricycles as well as<br />
single motorcycle services from the airport to<br />
the city. The fare is negotiable, ranging from<br />
PHP10–30. Once in the city, tricycles will be your<br />
main means of transport.<br />
BY DAY First stop should be the Holy Rosary<br />
Cathedral. From there, take a leisurely walk along<br />
Rizal Ave right straight to Dipolog Boulevard.<br />
Facing the Sulu Sea, the boulevard is estimated to<br />
stretch 3.5km upon completion.<br />
BY NIGHT Visit Good Times Café at Brgy Biasong<br />
and try the famous buttered chicken. This<br />
private mini park-cum-art gallery and restaurant<br />
measures about 1,000sqm. It’s also a two-storey<br />
ancestral house fi lled with art collections.<br />
SLEEP Stay at the newly opened C&L Sea View<br />
Hotel along Quezon Ave. Have dinner at the city’s<br />
fi rst top fl oor restaurant. Room rates start from<br />
PHP900 per night. Tel: +63 (65) 212 1083<br />
Chen Ben<br />
C. Lim<br />
CCOS off icer<br />
BEST DINNER Beef tapa and<br />
bottled Spanish sardines at Café<br />
Isabelle.<br />
INSIDER TIP Be careful if you<br />
are a smoker; smoking in public<br />
places is not allowed.<br />
BEST BUYS Dipolog’s best kept<br />
secret is a crunchy dried “Asu-us”<br />
fi sh, available at Dipolog Fish Port<br />
every Saturday (Market Day).<br />
trip journal<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
PAGADIAN<br />
AREA CODE (02)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN Tricycles are the main means of<br />
transport around the city. What’s more, Pagadian’s<br />
tricycles are unique: they’re inclined at a 25˚ to<br />
40˚ angle, which allows them to negotiate the<br />
exceptionally hilly terrain.<br />
BY DAY Come and visit the newly opened City<br />
Commercial Center, where you can fi nd the<br />
latest fashion trends at affordable prices. For the<br />
adventurous types, try horseback riding at<br />
the Rotunda.<br />
BY NIGHT Watch and dance with the dancing<br />
fountain, the newest attraction in Pagadian City.<br />
Visit the plaza near the City Hall and try your luck<br />
at e-games in Pagcor afterwards. Enjoy a quiet<br />
nightcap at any of the coffee shops in the city.<br />
SLEEP Pagadian Bay Plaza Hotel is located<br />
near shopping malls and business centers, and<br />
is just 15 minutes away from the airport. www.<br />
pagadianbayplazahotel.com<br />
BEST SOUVENIRS Foodie or<br />
not, you must have our local lechon<br />
or tuyo (bulad).<br />
BEST BUYS Souvenir items like<br />
native bags; many are found in the<br />
Agora market.<br />
BEST SNACKS Take a break<br />
from all the sightseeing and tourist<br />
activities for coffee. Boss Café<br />
serves coffee Pagadian style.<br />
{ 216 }<br />
Allen<br />
Patrick Tan<br />
photographer<br />
EDGAR ALAN ZETA YAP<br />
PHILIPPINES<br />
TAWI-TAWI<br />
AREA CODE (68)<br />
CURRENCY Philippine Peso (PHP1 = US$0.02)<br />
TOUCHDOWN There are no cabs in Tawi-Tawi.<br />
Tricycles are everywhere though, especially in<br />
Bongao, the capital. Drivers charge PHP15–20<br />
per 5km. To visit nearby islands, rent a lantsa<br />
(small motorboat) for about PHP100.<br />
BY DAY Adventurers should try to conquer<br />
Bongao Peak, the tallest point in the province.<br />
You can also go island hopping by renting a boat<br />
(PHP300 for three hours) and visiting the islands<br />
near Bongao.<br />
BY NIGHT The establishments in the area<br />
generally close by 6pm, but there are some<br />
cafeterias which may still be open. Sample their<br />
seafood dishes. Ask the locals for good places to<br />
hang out.<br />
SLEEP Beachside Inn Hotel and Restaurant is<br />
an open-air restaurant with a spacious garden.<br />
Double rooms go for PHP700 a night with air-con<br />
and TV. Tel: +63 (68) 268 1446<br />
Excel V.<br />
Dyquiangco<br />
freelance writer<br />
BEST BUYS Carpets or<br />
rugs made out of copra, the top<br />
agricultural produce in the region.<br />
MUST-TRY Try the seaweed ice<br />
cream — still sweet and comes with<br />
a tangy taste.<br />
INSIDER TIP Although you<br />
might see people in military uniform<br />
from time to time, don’t fret. Tawi-<br />
Tawi is truly a safe place.<br />
EDGAR ALAN ZETA YAP
Where to next?<br />
Asia<br />
map legend<br />
Cebu Pacifi c Hub<br />
City with airport<br />
Cebu Pacifi c International fl ight<br />
Cebu Pacifi c Domestic fl ight<br />
Cebu Pacifi c new route<br />
route map<br />
Bangkok<br />
Kuala Lumpur<br />
CHINA<br />
VIETNAM<br />
Hanoi<br />
THAILAND<br />
Ho Chi Minh City<br />
MALAYSIA<br />
Singapore<br />
Jakarta<br />
Beijing<br />
Guangzhou<br />
Macau<br />
VIETNAM<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
INDONESIA<br />
Shanghai<br />
Xiamen<br />
Kota Kinabalu<br />
Bandar Seri Begawan<br />
{ 218 }<br />
Incheon<br />
Hong Kong<br />
BRUNEI<br />
KOREA<br />
CLARK<br />
Taipei<br />
TAIWAN<br />
Busan<br />
MANILA<br />
CEBU<br />
JAPAN<br />
Osaka<br />
THE PHILIPPINES
Puerto Princesa<br />
Busuanga<br />
Tawi-Tawi<br />
CLARK<br />
MANILA<br />
route map<br />
Laoag<br />
San Jose<br />
Tuguegarao<br />
Cauayan<br />
Caticlan<br />
Zamboanga<br />
{ 219 }<br />
Kalibo<br />
Roxas<br />
Iloilo<br />
The Philippines<br />
Naga<br />
Bacolod<br />
Legazpi<br />
Dumaguete<br />
Dipolog<br />
Pagadian<br />
Catarman<br />
Calbayog<br />
CEBU<br />
Tagbilaran<br />
Ozamiz<br />
Cotabato<br />
Virac<br />
Tacloban<br />
Surigao<br />
Siargao<br />
Cagayan de Oro<br />
Butuan<br />
DAVAO<br />
General Santos
More treats<br />
in flight<br />
DECEMBER TRAVEL means getting<br />
a Pinoy-style Christmas, thanks to<br />
onboard treats that simply soar in<br />
taste. Get a load of these and other<br />
yummy bites when you fl y Cebu<br />
Pacifi ac c (CEB): (C )<br />
Bibingka<br />
Ferino’s Bibingka<br />
The legendary Ferino’s started<br />
offering bibingka (rice cake topped<br />
with butter, sugar and salted egg)<br />
in 1938. Take advantage of their<br />
two mini classic Pinoy Christmas<br />
bibingkas in a box.<br />
White Christmas mocha<br />
Savor each sip of this delightful<br />
white latte, which combines the<br />
best of espresso coffee and white<br />
chocolate. Creamier than the regular<br />
coffee mocha, the drink is offered as<br />
a seasonal Christmas hot beverage<br />
— and it's excellent to have on<br />
chilly holiday fl ights.<br />
New cold sandwiches<br />
Made of freshly baked bread<br />
and fi ne ingredients, these new<br />
sandwiches will keep you satisfi ed<br />
in stomach and palate. Choose from<br />
Herb Chicken on Ciabatta Bread,<br />
Cheese Steak on Focaccia Bread,<br />
Ham & Mozzarella on Multigrain<br />
Bread, and Sausage, Pesto and<br />
Pomodoro on Multigrain Bread.<br />
SPAMusubi, baby!<br />
From Hawaii comes one of its best<br />
exports, SPAM® marinated and<br />
cooked in a special Asian/Hawaiian<br />
blend of sauces. Enjoy every morsel<br />
of this marinated slice served on<br />
a soft, fl uffy bed of Japanese rice<br />
and wrapped with nori or Japanese<br />
roasted seaweed.<br />
airline news<br />
Cruise down<br />
Hanoi's enchanting<br />
Ha Long Bay!<br />
Hello, Hanoi!<br />
CEB to start Manila-Hanoi flights in March 2012<br />
THE PHILIPPINES’ largest national fl ag<br />
carrier, Cebu Pacifi c (CEB), will become the<br />
only airline fl ying from Manila to Hanoi, the<br />
capital city of Vietnam, when it launches<br />
its fl ights on March 17, 2012. It will be a<br />
twice weekly service, utilizing one of Asia’s<br />
youngest aircraft fl eets.<br />
Flights for this route are scheduled to<br />
depart Manila at 10.30pm every Tuesday<br />
and Saturday, arriving in Hanoi at 12.30am.<br />
Return fl ights will leave Hanoi at 1am every<br />
Wednesday and Sunday, and arrive in Manila<br />
{ 220 }<br />
at 5am. CEB also operates daily fl ights<br />
between Manila and Ho Chi Minh City.<br />
“This announcement is very timely given<br />
the visit of Vietnam President Truong Tan<br />
Sang to the Philippines [in late October]. He<br />
wished then for more direct fl ights between<br />
Manila and Hanoi. Cebu Pacifi c is more than<br />
happy to oblige, to further promote trade<br />
and tourism between our two countries,”<br />
says CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution<br />
Candice Iyog. For more information, call +63<br />
(2) 702 0888 or visit www.cebupacifi cair.com
airline news<br />
Bigger in China<br />
Cebu Pacific plans to grow China market,<br />
introduces new route from Manila to Xiamen<br />
CEBU PACIFIC (CEB) is looking at expanding<br />
its operations in China, after a 30% growth<br />
in mainland China passengers in the third<br />
quarter (Q3) of <strong>2011</strong>, compared to the same<br />
period in 2010.<br />
CEB already announced plans to increase<br />
fl ights to Beijing, after its fi rst year of<br />
operations last September 5. Manila-Beijing-<br />
Manila fl ights will be a four times weekly<br />
service starting January 7, 2012 to cope<br />
with demand.<br />
The airline currently fl ies three times<br />
weekly to Beijing and Guangzhou, and daily<br />
to Shanghai. Its Greater China operations<br />
extend to daily fl ights from Manila to Taipei,<br />
up to six daily fl ights to Hong Kong from<br />
Manila, Clark and Cebu, and 11 weekly fl ights<br />
to Macau from Manila and Clark.<br />
“China is the next growth area for CEB.<br />
With Cebu Pacifi c expanding to<br />
China, trekking the Great Wall<br />
should be on everyone's travel list!<br />
We already serve Northern and Southern<br />
China with our current routes, but additional<br />
connectivity between our two countries will<br />
only benefi t tourism and trade,” says CEB VP<br />
for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.<br />
“The Philippines is the nearest tropical<br />
destination to China, and this is evident in the<br />
infl ux of tourists to our top beach getaways.<br />
There are also a lot of enterprises in the<br />
Philippines that source out their materials in<br />
China. There is a lot of potential for growth as<br />
we take delivery of more planes,” she adds.<br />
CEB currently operates 17 Airbus A319, 19<br />
Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. By<br />
the end of <strong>2011</strong>, CEB will be operating a fl eet<br />
of 37 aircraft with an average age of less than<br />
three-and-a-half years — one of the most<br />
modern aircraft fl eets in the world. www.<br />
cebupacifi cair.com<br />
{ 221 }<br />
Enjoy web checkin<br />
for free!<br />
SAVE TIME and sidestep the<br />
airport queues with CEB’s free web<br />
check-in facility. Simply log on to<br />
www.cebupacifi cair.com with your<br />
booking reference ready, click the<br />
Manage Booking button, and follow<br />
the step-by-step procedure. You’ll be<br />
assigned a seat at no extra charge,<br />
but for minimal fees — PHP100<br />
for standard seats and PHP200<br />
for premium ones — you may<br />
change your seat according to<br />
your preference.<br />
CEB draws 30%<br />
more passengers<br />
in ASEAN region<br />
IT’S LOOKING like a more mobile ASEAN<br />
population, thanks in part to Cebu Pacifi c's<br />
(CEB) trademark low fares. From July<br />
to September <strong>2011</strong>, CEB fl ew close to<br />
286,000 passengers to and from ASEAN<br />
destinations, a 30% growth compared to the<br />
same period last year. With plans for more<br />
aircraft and therefore more fl ights, expect the<br />
region to be even busier.<br />
“There are 10 member states in the<br />
Association of South-East Asian Nations,<br />
and we look forward to expanding Cebu<br />
Pacifi c’s network further in this region. We<br />
believe our neighboring South-East Asian<br />
countries can benefi t greatly from direct<br />
access and additional connectivity to the<br />
Philippines, especially with our trademark<br />
low fares,” says CEB VP for Marketing and<br />
Distribution Candice Iyog.<br />
The airline took delivery of one brandnew<br />
Airbus A320 last October 26, <strong>2011</strong>, and<br />
is taking delivery of another in December<br />
<strong>2011</strong>. This provides additional capacity for<br />
network, fl ight and route expansion.
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