Philippine Travel Notes

Roaming the Visayas (esp Cebu), I always find people flocking to the bakeries in the afternoons. Many just buy bread ‘to go’ and some eat theirs right at these bakeshops where almost all have tables and chairs for the purpose. And trying to belong, trying to call myself now a Cebuano, I must try what they do – eat my bread at benches and tables provided by the bakeries! I actually enjoy this! It affords me more time to watch and observe my “mga higala” hehe. Plus, the interesting names these eatables bear just blows me away at times! If you are used to cinnamon, raisin or banana bread, try mushroom or corn . No they are not flavored with those vegetables! These are little breads made to look like well, mushroom or corn! Mushroom bread is that round compact kind of bread that seems to have been made so that it breaks while baking. I know this takes another name in Metro Manila and elsewhere. Corn bread is a softer kind, elongated almost like an unbended croissant in shape but the dou...

Hmm, with that title am starting to sound like a textbook hehe! I better be, if only for us travelers to start realizing (and perhaps tell other travelers) what should and should not be present for us to enjoy a pesky bus ride to wherever. And I take pleasure in picking the bus system inside Bonifacio Global City (BGC) also called Fort Bonifacio, also called The Fort, and at least one of you I know insists I call it Taguig. Sus! Anyway, I have lately been a constant passenger of these buses inside the fort, not because I like them but because I have no choice! Ikaw na tumira sa condo unit na walang kalakip na parking slot where you pay hefty sums for a mere few hours of parking in the very same building where you live hehe! I have observed time and again though, that in general, getting into and out of these buses are very orderly compared to anywhere else in this country. And to think, most passengers that ride these buses are youngsters who work at call centers, BPOs and other corpor...

Folks, many of you will probably be interested to know that Mooon Cafe (yes, that's 3 of the letter “O”s), that famous Cebuano Mexican whatever restaurant, is opening soon in Metro Manila! I was a bit elated, bit disappointed, down to outright disgusted at how this is happening! How do I explain that? Here I go… Elated Eh of course, that is Cebu invading your Metro Manila AGAIN! What's so happy about that? If only to show that the Queen City is really making its mark, that it is not anymore the “kaulohan“ dictating the pace of everything. C'mon folksy folks, I have been resident of the queen city for the past 3 years, I claim, therefore I AM a Cebuano! So I am proud that another local joint is trying it out in the metropolis. Yeyeyehhh! Disappointed My shallow point, which many of you will agree, is --- that restaurant, especially their IT Park branch (at The Walk) has been one of my best places to bring visiting friends from Manila to! So my list of “Uniquely Cebu...

Well, look at the things I find when I roam hehe. Here is another one you might call really really lost in translation! It is probably a typo that did not get noticed by the whole company. Its a big factory by the way! Maybe their English teacher did not emphasize enough that ‘wrong spelling is wrong’ hehehe! Especially funny since the first 3 letters of that misspelled word means something really dirty for Filipinos Whatever they mean by ‘clear taest’ or ‘clear taste’, if you haven’t yet, you should try Soju sometimes. Its good! But wait, refreshing as it may look with the "fresh morning" sign, it is not a morning drink nor a softdrink! The "fresh morning" is probably meant to tell that you won't have a heavy head or hangover when you wake up. I can tell its way stronger than Red Horse! So its probably a gin or a vodka or something like that! Ah, the imported signs of our times!

What is this place? Wheh, don’t panic, it’s just another restaurant block – this place is composed of two 2-level square buildings. Where is it? Now that makes the place a bit of a “must note”! It sits by the water’s edge beside the CCP. Yep, the Cultural Center of the Philippines over at Roxas Boulevard by the picturesque side of Manila Bay. That makes Harbour Square a convenient stop while waiting for the evening traffic rush hour to ease up! But if you are the imaginative type, Harbour Square is worth a visit or two. Or three or more – especially during the afternoons until dusk and darkness! A nice breezy place to while time away when, waiting for a show or event at CCP. Nice too for a nightcap after attending events at venues like PICC, Coconut Palace, Aliwan Theater and of course CCP! Restaurants and/or restobars in the area are generally branches of popular establishments commonly seen around the metropolis – and it looks like they come and go! One time you go dine at a plac...

For wartime history, and American era fortifications, this island is a must-tour for both the Filipino and the foreign visitor. It played a significant role in the liberation of this country from Japanese occupation. So, worth the visit, if only for a closer look at the realities of yesteryears. Yes, even also worth a visit あなたは日本国民であっても。 There are many available references about this island and how it has been used since the 1500s where it fared historical prominence in various attempts to seize control of the country by Spanish, Dutch, British, American and Japanese colonizers. But most historic was yes, the final Japanese-American war of 1945. Everything about these are however better heard as you tour around the island – and this place has one of the best tour guides the country has ever produced! Anyway… How to go there? There is only one “real” operator that does this tour, Sun Cruises. I mean they are the company that owns the fastcraft and the Corregidor Inn, but as it is ...

Remember the days when there was no Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 yet? When it was a simple “international flights at MIA and domestic flights at Manila Domestic”? Mind-boggling, right? Where, for any flight out of Manila you had to fall in line outside of the terminal from 30 minutes to an hour? Where check-in for a Cebu Pacific flight was like queuing up for school enrollment or NBI Clearance? Where, after check-in, waiting for flight boarding was like waiting at a government office?! Ah, those were the days of yore hehe! Younger folks who have not experienced those ’nakahihibang’ situations have a lot to be thankful for hehe! But we the young at heart air-travelers in this country who gruelled, grimaced and scrimmaged it out at the airports now have a lot reminisce. Memories, dark as they were, but still memories worth remembering hehe! Look now! The Manila Domestic Airport looks fantastically different! Somehow, somewhere in me says ’sana hindi na nila gibain ito’ hahaha! For the ...

Fantastic sunset as we landed in Manila from Naga City. But I was not home yet! Home isn't Quezon City anymore. I was just passing by NAIA 3 on my way to Cebu since there are no direct Naga-Cebu flights. In fact I was already holding my MNL-CEB boarding pass issued at naga when I checked-in for this WNP-MNL flight. And I did not want to reverse my Cebu-Legaspi-Naga-Caramoan route because I had the luxury of zero-fares! I do not get to land in Manila at such a time of day since we all avoid it, right? Yeah, the excruciating afternoon traffic. But since I was just in transit to Cebu, I liked it that this flight was arriving MNL at about 4PM. Here’s part of that story… Turboprops (propeller airplanes) do not use any of the gates at Terminal 3. And I know that. Its useless for an airline to use them anyway. Why? Because these planes are too small, they cannot be reached by the aerobridge (air tube) for a more comfortable disembarkation of passengers. And my flight from Naga was using...

I had already a rough note on this topic re my hectic 1 week stay in Metro Manila (golly, I now consider myself a visitor) with that “smoking ban” in place. However, recent news have 'again' superseded me, so I had to make some little tweaks here and there in what I had to say. So, puffing travelers, listen up and listen well esp if you’re going to Metro Manila. Ban As far as I can remember, at least in QC, smoking has been banned in enclosed public places as early as before I finished college. Hint: si Cory ang commencement speaker namin (her first ever), so you’ll know how long it has been. Smoking Usually refers to people who puff cigarettes and cigars. It does not consider the smoke belching buses, cars, trucks and even private vehicles ALL OVER Metro Manila. Hey, do I hear anyone mentioning Baguio? OMG yes! It does not also consider your neighbors even as far as three blocks away burning trash that they have just swept from their yard – composed mostly of plastic b...

I have been a regular in this place when I was still a Metro Manila resident (which was not long ago yet). I love the “ambulance” (ambiance) and the proximity to convenient cheap eatables without being inside a mall but just steps away from it. Add in the nostalgic loyalty that once in my life, for most of my college life at Diliman anyway, Trellis has been my favorite hang-out for food and drinks, over at their original branch behind the City Hall. So, a fortnight ago or so, I was happy to learn that a high-school friend decided to host some quick get together a.k.a his birthday celebration at the restaurant. Yep, at the Market Market area inside Bonifacio Global City. All was fine with me, until we ordered beer! And for whatever wrath the heavens may have cast upon earth that evening… it seemed everything was directed to ensure my discomfort and inconvenience. Ah, I cant think of a ‘better negative term’, if at all there is such a thing. But yes, the kalangitan seemed to have...

There has been that debate on the MRT fares for a time now, right? And I even had my take on that in this note , remember? Well, here is a real deal experience… I enjoyed a fine dinner with family over at Cyma in Trinoma. And after that, I told everyone (we’re all from different parts of QC) I’d be fine going home to my temporary abode of 1 week over at BGC. Even boasted that the MRT and the Fort Bonifacio Buses were a great and convenient combination. Alas, When I reached the North Avenue Station, the last train had just departed. Damn! So, I went down to EDSA and looked for a bus that would take me to Makati. There was plenty, and I even had a hard time choosing what I thought was cleanest and most comfortable. Still too many choices, so I hopped on one that had a lot of window seats vacant. Nice looong trip. It was like flying from Manila to Taipei – in terms of time consumed, I mean, when it was just from Trinoma to SM Makati. BUT, the fare was P35. Yes, THIRTY FIVE PESOS when that...

If there was that extra “S” in Bicol , it has gone a missing from the 'CUSTOMER' over at the SM Food Court – in Makati, no less! Oh well…

I saw this reminder last night posted on a wall at Maria De Leon Bus Station in Manila near UST. I think "baggage" is a collective noun so there is no need to add "s" to pluralize it. Anyway, more important for us travelers is to heed what it is trying to tell us! A Tagalog version (below) of the same reminder is also posted, though it is not a direct translation - it says more! Mag-ingat na lang lagi!

I call this place DVD Country just because that is what came to mind when I first tried describing this sea of pirated discs for sale. Others call it a DVD hub, mecca, bazaar, bagsakan, central, arcade and whatever else. But that is one and the same place famous (or infamous) for the proliferation of illegal copies of virtually anything that can be put to disc. Yes, most of them are DVD movies and audio CDs, though not to be outshone are the various installer-discs for just about anything you could think of feeding unto a computer. Let’s go! We went there after the San Sebastian Church accidental visit. But, this time, we took a jeep ride instead of continuing our leisurely walk. After having walked about 2.5 kms from Carriedo, to Quiapo Church, Hidalgo, Raon, MLQU and San Sebastian, somewhere in our muscles and bones started complaining hehe. The mind cannot always prevail when the body is tired. Tao lang hehe. Mind you, we still had the energy to roam around DVD country, so once we a...

Alright… we accidentally walked all the way from Quiapo church to reach this place WHICH we did not even know was doable. None of us expected to see this and none of us even thought it is still in Quiapo. Yeah, we all know and knew that there is a San Sebastian Church and all of us in this stroll pack have been there one time or another during our lives. But by chance we had this unanimous misconception that this church is only approached from the Legarda-Recto area, since that is how we have seen and passed-by in previous situations. Call it “dayuhan sa sariling bayan” haha, one of us in the group even spent college life at a nearby university and she was as surprised when we spotted the spires while still at Hidalgo St. Ah we did not stay long and were not able to ‘explore’ this edifice lengthily. Thanks to a wedding ceremony of a whoever and whoever where every nook of the church compound seemed to have been installed two or three policemen. They did not bother us though. We just ga...

The Raon overpass was bustling with people and it was rather not easy to move. When we thought we’ve had enough and decided to go back down, we found it difficult. As some of you may know, that overpass has an ‘island’ at center, a concrete barrier about chest-high (that becomes a convenient display shelf for the vendors). And ‘traffic flow’ of all humanity who pass there is ‘one-way’. To backtrack means you have to go cross this overpass to the end and transfer to the ‘opposite lane’ to return. And we did just that. However, upon reaching the other end, we instead decided to go down and explore this other side of Quiapo, instead of treading our way back in that congested overpass. And the story begins… One companion asked “what is there to see in this area?”. We all looked at each other seemingly asking the same question. But I suddenly remembered that nearby (almost directly across Plaza Miranda) is the ‘famed’ hub of pirated DVDs in this country. So, I suggested we go see the place,...