Clark! The Pampanga's best!

Air Force City, Pampanga's Best.

Former US Air Force Base is now simply a business hub. Still home to pilots, not the Americans though, but our kababayang Pinoy pilots.

The Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) sits on more than 28,000 hectares.

Clark is a business hub, aviation center, entertainment, gaming and tourism area situated in Central Luzon. Not to forget, it's duty free shops still exists.

When in Clark, dont miss the Lomi House, its on your left if you're coming from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.

Bangui and the windmills of my mind

Happiness is somewhere between too little and too much ... travel....

We could have missed that magnificent view had I not insisted in going there from Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos , Ilocos Norte.

My travel-escort-bodyguard-boyfriend gave me one task to do: to locate the signs on how to get there.

Sometimes, I am simply a geography-locator-idiot.

But that certain day in April, I found what we’ve been looking for... the Bangui Windmills in the municipality of Bangui , Ilocos Norte, about five to ten minutes away from Burgos town proper.

Looking at the magnificent view was like winning the last two, hahaha, sige na nga lotto, lottery para mas soci.

I have long dreamed of seeing this place after discovering it through features on televisions shows, news articles and even photos online.

The Bangui Windmills is owned by a private company – the NorthWind Bangui Bay Project.

One photojournalist described the 25-megawatt Bangui Bay Wind Farm as “one of the most captivating scenes in Ilocos Norte with 24 turbines arranged in a single row spaced 326 meters apart, towering 70 meters above the ground.”

It’s the first wind power mill constructed in Southeast Asia , the Bangui Windmills was inaugurated in 2005, the country’s largest renewable energy project.

The project started with 15 turbines that catch wind coming from the South China Sea and convert it to electricity for 600,000 populace of Ilocos Norte.

"Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel,
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel,
as the images unwind, like the circles that you find,
in the windmills of your mind!"

That's the windmills of Bangui on my mind.

I say, there's more to the trip to Ilocandia. After a nice scenic Burgos Lighthouse and Bangui Windmills.

Pagudpud is the next town to enjoy.

The ultimate dog sports

THE 3rd National Ultimate Dog Sports dog agility and Mondio Ring (dog protection) competition will be held at the People's Park on August 21 to 23, in celebration of the Kadayawan festival.

About 75 dogs and their respective handlers from Luzon, ...Visayas and Mindanao will see action in the three-day dog agility sports and dog protection competition.

Elmer Edpalina II, acting president of the Davao Canine Sports Club Inc., said the event "will open the eyes of the Davawenyos about dogs and their potentials."

"The competition is about making Davao people aware of their dogs and their relationship. The competition will be an eye-opener for dog lovers to understand more their dogs and to strengthen their bond," Edpalina said.

He said dog enthusiasts like former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair Eric Buhain and renowned dog handler Eugene Reyes will be competing with veteran handlers from the three Davao-based dog academies namely: Davao K-9 ASG Agility Sports Group, Mt. Apo Davao K-9 Training School and Black Mask K-9 Training Camp.

Iris Remund and Alain Defilippis from Switzerland will the judges for Mondio Ring and Mondio Ring decoy, respectively.

The event is presented by Purina Pro Plan and the City Government of Davao and sponsored by RC Cola, Vetmate, Kakimkris Lechon and Catering, NCCC, Rep. Manuel Zamora, Carville Auto Supply, Farma Auto Supply, Wonderland and The Ark Animal Clinic. \

The clock stops in Coron, Palawan

If you want to have a quiet getaway, try exploring Coron or the Calamian Islands Group on a weekend.Super Ferry 19 (Our Lady of Good Voyage) goes to Coron every Friday afternoon.


It departs from Manila Pier 15 around 4 p.m. and arrives at 5.30 in the morning the next day, just an overnight trip.


When you’re there, enjoy whole day island hopping, take a banca and go around Coron Island and discover its coves, lakes and lagoons.



The best one is the Kayangan Lake, a picturesque postcard perfect with its limestone cliff and very clear waters. Kayangan Lake is considered the cleanest lake in the Philippines.


Then take a dive at the Twin Lagoon. Twin Lagoon’s separated by limestone cliffs with a small
underwater tunnel. Snorkel around Siete Pecados, according to travel books most of corals around Coron Island are dead except for the Siete Picados. There’s one huge corals in Siete Picados, our bankero-cum-tour guide calls it The Last Supper.


End your island hopping by taking a dip at the Maquinit Hot Springs.Before you depart for Coron Pier for your trip back to Manila, end your visit by climbing up the 775-step Mt. Tapyas.



When you visit Coron, don’t forget to bring your camera then grab a very reliable backpack, slippers, plenty of sun block, shades, towel and extra shirts.


I forgot the name of this bankero-cum-tour guide na mura ang bayad. We hired his boat whole Saturday afternoon. Usually, people are tired to explore the place after arriving from the port of Coron.



So just rest in the morning, enjoy your bed till noon time and tour the place in the afternoon.And if you are not a beach addict you can tour and enjoy Coron in one afternoon.If you want to be free from the traffic and pollution, away from a challenging life, try to spend one weekend in Coron.


No matter how far, Coron is simply the best weekend getaway you can get.

Opol Aviary

Rupert Domingo and friends introduced wild water rafting in Cagayan de Oro City in June 1995.

Locals embraced the new sports adventure and it spread by word of mouth among locals and tourists.

In 1999, four years after being touted as pioneers in the wild water rafting business, Domingo, 44, ventured into collecting lovebirds.

"My parents have a 2,000-sq.m. lot in Taboc in Opol. The place hasn't been industrially maximized so we put up a nipa hut there and that was where I placed the birds. It became our place to unwind," he says.

He says it was just experimental, with "bird cages made of used billboards then."

Then the word spread out, close friends and rafting buddies became eager to see his bird collection.

"From one group of friends to another, they visit the place in Opol, especially after a few runs from water rafting," he adds.

This helped him come up with an idea of developing the area for public viewing.

With the creation of an aviary, he hoped that birds and its environs would be appreciated by people.

Today, Opol Aviary, the only one in Misamis Oriental, welcomes children and adults from nearby towns."

Visitors in the aviary are mostly students and guided by their teachers. Dropping by at the aviary becomes an activity during out-of-school exposures. Some visitors are backpackers and travelers going to Iligan City," he says.

The aviary, which houses more than 200 species of animals like birds, rabbits, fish and deer. It does not get any financial support from the government.

In October 2005, the family poured out P800,000 to put up a high beam for its 25-feet aviary."

This is entirely at our own expense and providing for the maintenance including sanitation. Birds and other animals are once a month inspected by the city's veterinarian. Other than that, we also pay the personnel manning the aviary," Domingo says.

Opol Aviary collects P30 entrance fee for adults and P20 for kids."

And I think this is the only aviary in the Philippines where senior citizens get a free tour," he says.

How to get there:

The aviary is about 9 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City.

Take a jeepney that plies the route El Salvador or Opol from Bulua terminal.

Tell the driver you're going to the Opol Aviary.

Roundtrip jeepney fare would cost about P30.

If you want an air-conditioned ride, take a taxi from the city.

One-way fare would cost you around P100. For reservations, call (088) 8571270.

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Adopting Leila

Hours after adopting her













Kahit sa'n mo ilagay, tulog queen pa rin

Unto her new home... ayaw pa ring magising.

Si Leila, after the adoption becomes the tulog queen.

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Leila, the dog substitute

On April 6, I voluntarily enrolled our 1-year old Belgian Malinois to a Dog School for his month-long “bartolina” training.
A promised I made to the dog and to the giver himself.

Twenty days after my BelMal dog turned 1, while in Clark Air Base, I decided to buy a Labrador puppy as a gift to my Spartan travel partner boyfriend.
Hours after we had her in our hands, I named her Leila.

Leila, like any other Labrador puppy, is noticeably and naturally beautiful but armed with a complete set of teeth like those of an Eel or a Barracuda, tiny but sharp.

Leila is a certified teeth-ter! Once you let her out of her leash, she preys on shoes, newspapers, shoelaces, boxes, plastic containers, even garbage bin and after you scold her, she instantly kills you with her “luoy-luoy look.”

Her usual routine is to run around, play with the newspaper, her toy balls, drinks her water, eat a little of her dog food and sleep.
And when she wakes up, she does the same thing over and over until she gets tired and fall asleep again.

During Holy Week, we decided to bring her to our travel to test to test the waters how this pet would play her antics on board a vehicle.

Silent at first but later on chaos ensued. Leila started to cry and became restless, moving from the front seat to the back seat, near the window, as if she wanted to commit suicide by jumping out of the vehicle.

We have to bring her with us for simply because there is no other puppy-nanny available to take care of her that time.

When we reached La Union, we found a solution.

We fed Leila her favorite toy – ice! I call it her anesthesia, he calls it her shabu.
With her ice, Leila becomes busy and sleepy and our travel went smooth sailing from then on.
Holy week’s travel up north was Leila’s first road trip and there will be more to come, perhaps down south.

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Ikakasal ka na

After having a nice manukan dinner, Toto, GG and I decided to have another coffee along Quirino Street. Sa aming suki.

So we walked along the road, kay asa pa man gyud diay.

This site caught our attention.

GG out of the blue asked me sa'ng gown daw gagamitin ko. Binalikan namin ang display.

I told her, I'm on tight budget. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I think I have to be content with Rene Salud.

Sige na nga, I'll choose. Rene Salud o ito?

Valentine's Day

Exactly one year ago, may surprise package na dumating para sa akin sa araw ng mga puso.

Kaso this year, hindi naulit.

Pag log-in ko sa guard house, walang JRS, FexEd, DHL o LBC package na nakalagay sa daily delivery counter.

So, pagpasok ko sa opisina hinanap ko ang remembrance ko noong nakaraang taon.

Kaso, ala rin si cupid.

In short, di ko matandaan kung sa’n ko naitago kaya kinarir ko to the max ko na lang ang career ko that day.

Kinalimutang VDay pala.

Pero later that evening napasama na rin kami sa mga dating couples sa mapulang araw na ito.

Ang culprit kasi eh botched dinner date with Ma’am Gigie and Kuya Toto supposedly on Valentine’s eve.

From Venue A BluGre which turned out to be a business meeting date, we went to Venue B, Fagioli with red red wine in tow.

Kaya dun pasta, tea, pancake including the latest and hottest showbiz chika for the three of us ang drama.

Kaso naputol ang latest chika namin kasi si Inang Grasya nasa old house with a coffee shop na, kailangan daw nya ng reinforcement.

Juiceko! May red wine din pala sila with supported with pizza and chicken and mojos and chocolates pa.

Tapos biglang napag-usapan multo sa mga lumang bahay, mga old disco spots, etc, etc.

Classic talaga tong bibig ni Peter eh, bigla ba namang sumagot, never ever daw nagkaroon ng multo sa kanila.

“Eh buringan area to eh, ang iingay kaya nila, nagtatakbuhan pa yang mga yan dito.”

At biglang napunta ang usapan kay Gwen. Si Gwen talaga, or should I say si Gwen na naman. We had a nice experience with Gwen, promise! Especially now, araw ng mga puso, it’s gonna be a great a perfect match with Gwen’s tequila sana.

Lahat pala kami napansin bakit andaming tao sa kalsada, parang lahat ata ng celebrate na.

Pero isa lang ang payo ni Peter kay Jose, wag daw syang mag-aasawa. Kasama na riyan yong ang di pagkakasunduan at iba pa.

Bigla kung naisip yong padala, yong dumating na padala last year ba.

At ang naaalala kong sinabi ko sa kanya, sana may bulaklak. Kung sa bisaya pa bulak ba.

Alam niyo ba anong dumating.

Eto ang delivery package na padala nya.

Naisip ko ulit ang dialogue ni Peter, ang di pagkakaintindihan ang madalas na dahilan para pag-isipan mong mabuti kung dapat ka nga bang mag-asawa.

Eh sa bulaklak pa lang din na kami magkaintindihan, kasi sabi ko nga sa kanya “bulak” hindi “bulad” diba.

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Takbo 2009

POWER RUN !!

February 15, 2009 (Sunday)
Manila Bay, Mall of Asia

Registration Fee: P300.00
Assembly Time : 5:30 A.M.
Race Start : 6:00 A.M.

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VIP ka!