Philippines Guide
For Travelers, Expats and Pinoys
More Pinangat! More Water! A Philippine Delicacy
Imagine tasting the wonderful flavor of coconut milk, vegetables, and seafood in every bite, wouldn’t that be heaven boiling in your tongue? Add to it a spicy taste that would accentuate the rest of the flavors in your mouth (that is if it doesn’t send you running for water). That is Pinangat, a wonderful delicacy in the Bicol Region of the Philippines.
If you ever wonder which of the many people in the Philippines would eat spicy chili peppers for snacks, then all you ever have to do is visit the Bicol Region.
The locals are called bicolanos, and are known to be a people who have a rooted fear of spicy chili peppers out of their chests. One spicy specialty bicolanos are known for is their ever-famous Pinangat.
Pinangat is part of Philippine cuisine that espouses coconut milk as a major theme. It is reminiscent of other dishes from the neighboring pacific islands. Since the Bicol Region in the Philippines is a large producer of coconuts, a major theme among the local cuisine is based on coconut milk (locally known as gata).
Pinangat is made from local “gabi” leaves (i.e. taro). Every neighborhood in the Bicol Region will have these planted nearby. These leaves will either be sun dried or cooked fresh to become a major ingredient in almost every bicolano delicacy including Pinangat.
Other than gabi leaves, coconut milk, and chili peppers, the succulent flavor of Pinangat won’t be complete without the tasty seafood that makes this delicacy a huge hit in the local cuisine of the Philippines.
You can use crabmeat, fish meat, or shrimp meat to make Pinangat. At times, when you get to visit the Bicol Region in the Philippines, you might even be treated by the local folks to Pinangat with shark meat (expect killing sharks to be illegal in the Philippines though).
Pinangat is simply made by wrapping your favorite seafood meat, chili peppers, onions, garlic, and spices in gabi leaves. This is sometimes tied up using gabi leaves that are cut lengthwise into strings, but it’s totally up to you if you want to do it that way.
The vegetable wrap (Pinangat) is then set aside while the coconut milk is set to a boil. Once the coconut milk is brought to a boil the vegetable wraps are dropped in. You let the whole thing boil over adding salt to taste until the vegetable wrap has absorbed most of the coconut milk.
And that’s how to make the Bicol Region’s famous Pinangat. Just prepare yourself for a tasty meal that sends you begging for water.
La Carmela de Boracay
Dig your feet to the sparkling white sand in one of the most famous and beautiful beach in the Philippines and in the world with the fine accommodation and service of La Carmela de Boracay Hotel. It offers its guests great service for affordable prices.
Fly to the Philippines and from its capital Manila, fly to Caticlan airport. The travel time is approximately an hour.
Rooms
Stay at La Carmela de Boracay’s rooms with ultimate comfort. Sleep well and be relaxed with the hotel’s rooms. There are a wide variety of choices for every guest’s needs. There are Superior, Standard, Deluxe rooms (which have two double beds), and Junior Executive and Presidential Suite rooms which offer elegant bathrooms with tubs.
Of course, the rooms are air-conditioned for the clean and comfortable stay of the guests. There are also cable TV’s and hot and cold water showers to really give the guests their full blast vacation experience. Relaxation is defined by La Carmela de Boracay Hotel.
Facilities
Different occasions can be held at La Carmela de Boracay with its function rooms. The functions rooms can accommodate 250 to 500 persons. There are also multimedia facilities in the function rooms which are very helpful for seminars and conferences held in the island of Boracay in the Philippines.
Businessmen and busy professionals can still check on their projects and do some necessary works while they are staying in La Carmela de Boracay Hotel in the Philippines because the resort offers a business center with internet access, computer rentals and printing services, fax services and even foreign currency exchange.
Recreation and Entertainment
La Carmela de Boracay has an outdoor pool equipped with a slide and Jacuzzi to make the guests truly enjoy their stay and have fun. There is also the unique and entertaining mini poolside theater for outdoor parties and get-together activities. It is a great way to hang-out with your friends when you are in La Carmela de Boracay Resort.
For Music lovers staying in Boracay, La Carmela de Boracay also offers 25 meters of beach front where live bands play the latest and grooviest tunes which set the Boracay party goers on fire.
Health-conscious guests will surely enjoy their work-outs with health spas and gyms within La Carmela de Boracay’s premises. Guests will surely have a memorable stay in Boracay, Philippines because of the services at the hotel which are world class.
This hotel truly deserves its AA rating/class because of its facilities and services. Everything you need for a great vacation is in La Carmela de Boracay!
Pan Pacific Hotel in Manila
Located at M. Adriatico corner General Malvar Streets Malate, Manila in the Philippines is a tried and tested hotel which has been providing the best of what its guests want whether it be for business or leisure.
Pan Pacific Hotel is easily accessible and just a few minutes drive from the bustling busy capital of the Philippines. Guests of Pan Pacific Hotel can easily attend conventions and meetings at any of Manila’s convention and business centers. The hotel is only eight kilometers away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
What does it offer?
Pan Pacific Hotel primarily caters to business travelers with 236 executive rooms and seven function rooms. The hotel is the first five-start hotel in the Philippines. It has also been known for providing all of its guests the best treatment anyone, even royalty could get.
Hotel Rooms
All of its rooms have exquisitely-designed granite desks, two phone lines and a mini bar. To further be considered Manila’s world class luxury hotel, Pan Pacific has a one-of-a-kind butler service to cater to the needs of the guest. This brings the hotel service to a higher level.
Restaurants and Bars
Pan Pacific Hotel caters to all the dining standards of its guests by offering different lounges in the hotel. For a little chitchat with a friend or light conversations with an acquaintance, Pan Pacific’s Lobby Lounge is the recommended place to spend a relaxing day. The lounge is designed with comfortable seating arrangements and guests can savor tasty fruit juices, teas, coffees and other refreshing beverages.
For a spectacular view of Manila, Pacific Lounge exudes elegance enjoyed over sumptuous world-class and international cuisines. Pacific Lounge serves guests breakfast, lunch and dinner while they marvel at the floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
While taking a dip in the pool, food and drinks can be served at the pool counter, which boasts of a tropical-inspired design.
Facilities and other services
To keep up with the latest in the world, the hotel has broadband Internet access in its elegant rooms and suites. Assistance is also provided for any wireless connectivity concerns 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Pan Pacific Hotel has a business center which is available daily from 7 am to 11 pm. The business center’s services include secretarial services such as typing and dictation, and rental of office equipment such as Laser jet printers, Electronic typewriters, photocopying and facsimile services, book binding, messenger services, laminating services and many others business type services are provided.
At Home on the Islands
Hotels in the Philippines may be easily found as in any other country. They can be discovered in the middle of bustling commercial areas as well as quaint, serene locations throughout the country.
Some of the more affluent, urban hotels offer a wide array of services that cater to a guest’s ultimate satisfaction. The experience of having your own private oasis in the middle of cities such as Metro manila, Cebu and Davao makes a trip to this country an unforgettable experience whether for business or pleasure. The combination of the cityscape and an actual private enclave within it complete one’s craving for a peaceful recluse, while satisfying the urge to enjoy the metropolis and city nightlife.
Resort hotels range from bed and breakfast type inns, to luxurious 5-star retreats with amenities rivaling their counterparts in the cities. With both types, offering peaceful surroundings. These locations have a nature-park or seaside feel, depending on what leisure spots are nearby. Usually, when one opts to explore the great outdoors or lounge in the best beaches the country has to offer, the inexpensive and simple, yet relaxing hotels are a wise choice.
Exploring the beaches and woodland parks usually take up a lot of one’s leisure time and finding a place to just stash your belongings or sleep may be well addressed by these resort hotels. There are also places with luxurious accommodations located in major tourist destinations in the islands for those who choose more high-end treatment, while enjoying their holiday or business trip.
In all these hotels, it is important to cite the fact that they usually provide meals involving local fare and it is highly recommended that one should try these delicacies. Major hotels offer native dishes as part of their buffet menu prepared by recognized chefs. Having a taste of authentic Filipino food heightens the experience of being in one’s chosen hotel whether one is a tourist or local.
Business centers and services are usually provided in these hotels and one only has to pick up the house phone to avail of these essentials for the traveler who cannot help mixing business with pleasure. Other hotel services such as medical services are usually present or have means to be swiftly connected to the nearest healthcare facility, depending on the capacity and type of the hotel.
Exploring the Philippines can be the most fulfilling experience anyone can have, with the abundance of beaches, resorts, and cities alike. The presence of hotels fulfill the ever-present need for a “home away from home”, and can only enrich the memories one will have of this country, long after check out time.
Pearl of the Pacific in Boracay
Welcome to the Fantasy Vacation in the Philippines!
Let us visit the white beach of Boracay and enjoy our stay at the Pearl of the Pacific Beach Resort.
Pacific Beach Resort is in the midway of the three sections of Boracay and staying in this glamorous resort with 60 well appointed rooms is really refreshing.
We can claim that the resort is complete in itself with all the amenities it offers to their visitors. The sprawling beachfront of the resort with rooms distributed along the powdery white beach and lush tropical hillside of the garden is so inviting to everybody who happens to pass by. All the rooms are air conditioned with verandahs overlooking the beach. The resort is very self-contained because aside from its swimming pool it has its health spa, game room, business center and sauna. So what else can one ask for?
For those who are in conference the resort is prepared for this for it has its own function room to accommodate 60 classrooms. It has also 100 theatre style seats. So, no wonder participants in conferences will not be bored with this kind of accommodation.
To further entertain visitors, the resort plans some special activities such as beach banquets or parties. For others who want to have theme parties the resort also makes provisions for this.
For those who love indoor games there are many that the visitors can choose from like board games and darts. However, for those who want to go home with tanned bodies there are also varied games for outdoor fun such as volleyball, island hopping and horseback riding. To others who love the adventures of the sea there is diving, snorkeling and windsurfing.
So as visitors on this island you will never regret any minute of your stay if you opted to check-in at this resort, The Pearl of the Pacific Beach Resort. One can really appreciate not only the white sand but the entire beauty of Boracay Island.
But you will be surprised that with all these amenities, the rates of the resort are more or less the same with other resort on the island. For their standard single room the rate is $377 and an additional $122 for extra night. For double standard room the resort is charging $255 and an additional $62 While for a triple standard room the cost is $236 and $52 for an extra night.
For single deluxe room the payment is $525 and an additional of $197 for extra night. For the double deluxe room the rate is $329 and an extra $99 for an extra night. For triple deluxe room the charge is $286 and an additional of $77 for extra night.
All rates are good for 3 days and 2 nights per person. Inclusive of these charges are daily breakfasts, welcome drinks, roundtrip airfare via Asian Spirit – Sea Air which is from Manila to Caticlan to Manila; and land and sea transfer which is from airport to resort to airport.
For those who will choose the deluxe room there are additional amenities such as mini-bar, cable TV, piped-in music and telephone with NDD and IDD.
So where else can you have all these amenities which show the hospitality of the Filipinos? Indeed, if one is looking for a place to spend their vacation where the white beach of Boracay is waiting and where the service of the best resort can be experienced; choose Pearl of the Pacific Beach Resort.
Boracay Regency Beach Resort
Capture the island vibe in Regency Beach Resort.
Boracay is known for its powdery white sand beach and serene view of the sea. It is also one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches all over the world and the most frequently visited place in the Philippines.
A 30 minutes airplane ride from Manila to Caticlan and a 15 minute enjoyable boat ride from Caticlan is how one gets to Boracay Island. While on the island, you may choose from various arrays of top hotels and resorts. Regency Hotel and Beach Resort is one of the best and well known hotels located in the center of the island.
Boracay is not only known for its white sand beach and deep blue ocean waters. Boracay is now etching its name as host and venue of exciting parties and events. Currently, ocean weddings and other romantic events are mostly done in Boracay since the environment is truly for honeymooners and lovers. Night festivities like beach bonfire parties and bikini contests are break the usual tranquil atmosphere of Boracay.
Regency Hotel and Beach Resort is one of the top hotels in the Philippines, offering amenities that are both entertaining and relaxing. Located right in the heart of the famous Boracay beach, Regency Hotel and Beach Resort has 195 air conditioned rooms furnished with high quality fixtures that are made from the countries indigenous materials. Every room in this marvelous hotel offers different angles of the spectacular beach resort where you can just sit and be enchanted by the crystal clear blue waters of Boracay Island.
Surrounded by a superb landscape garden and romantic gazebos, Regency Hotel and Beach Resort presents an unwinding and relaxing atmosphere for family, friends and most specially lovers. With high speed Wi-Fi internet that can still be accessible even when you’re on the beach front, you can constantly stay connected while sun bathing and unwinding at the Boracay seascape.
Regency Hotel and Beach Resort offers not only hotel amenities but also the opportunity for tourist and locals to mingle and party right in the core of the island. You can get to meet famous Filipino celebrities and other personalities enjoying the sun and the enchanting vibe of the island.
Indeed the Regency Hotel and Beach Resort in Boracay gives first class service and Filipino warmth and hospitality to all its visitors. The Regency Resort caters to all the relaxation, entertainment and even technological needs of all its clients all year round, making it the best place to stay when you are on the island.
Best Beach Resort in Boracay
Seclusion. Great food. Warm people. Luxury. Paradise. You though you can’t have all of them in one great vacation? Well think again because the Club Panoly Beach Resort in the Philippines’ beach paradise island of Boracay can give you the best vacation time of your whole lifetime.
Boracay is now very accessible from the nation’s capital. A lot of airlines are making it possible to get more and more people to get into this heavenly island by offering cheaper rates and faster flights. It would take you less than an hour to fly into Kalibo, Aklan and from there; a shuttle from The Club Panoly Beach Resort would be there to take you directly to the white beach, hassle-free!
Once you dock into the white powdery sands of Panoly, these red-clad men and women of the resort would give you a warm welcome coupled with a refreshing cold drink to wear you off your tiredness. One cannot help but be astonished at this beautiful sight, the white beach, which happily greets them on their arrival.
Club Panoly has got to be one of the bigger beach resorts in Boracay. It has its own beach front away from the crowd and madness in the downtown stations. Should you want to go mall’ing or eat in the main beach, a modest and comfortable shuttle is ready for you to bring you there and pick you up as well.
The kids would surely enjoy the big and beautiful pool and the adults can enjoy having their tan in Panoly’s comfortable sun beds. There is also a poolside bar to make it an even more enjoyable experience for everyone! Panoly would even let you get a taste of the wildlife because of the wild animals it houses in its mini-zoo. The Club Panoly Beach Resort has also not forgotten to provide something to the athletic: a spacious tennis-court is available for the tennis-goers.
After enjoying the beautiful sands and water of Boracay, you would surely want to take a long and luxurious rest. Panoly is a five-star hotel and you have the option to stay in the nipa huts for a more native feel or in the main hotel for luxury. Food is plentiful and you would surely never go hungry in your stay here! Café Havana is also there to get you into the dancing mood.
You have made the right choice by exploring the Philippines’s most treasured island of Boracay. You would certainly make a smarter choice by letting Panoly complete this experience for you. A great place and great accommodation, the Club Panoly Beach Resort would surely be perfect this vacation that you truly deserve.
Turn Idle Space Into Money
Do you have a vacant space in your backyard? Do you have an idle commercial space that you don’t know what to do with? Is that idle space near a training center for seafarers? Then you just might have stumbled upon a promising business that you can start right at your own home! This is what happened with Mr. Illac Diaz.
Illac founded the Corte Real located in the historic Intramuros (Manila) in June of 2001. Corte Real is the Philippines’ first professional dormitory for seafarers. Offering space for seafarers who have nowhere to go once they transact business in the Big City, Corte real is Illac’s pet project, a fruit of his entrepreneurial spirit.
Set in a 2,500-square meter lot in Intramuros, Corte real is Illac’s thesis in graduate school about professionalizing the fractured markets like photocopiers, street vending, etc. Illac said that he thought of a business which can be given quality service through professionalization.
Stumbling upon the hundreds of seafarers hanging out in Kalaw Street in Manila gave Illac the idea of setting up a professional dormitory for seafarers. “Of course, when you have people, they have their needs. They need food, space, and entertainment. And I focused on the need of these seamen to have space. It was then that I found out that most of these seamen live in miserable conditions when they here in Manila. They are the so-called heroes of our time, yet when they come back home, they get abused.” Illac said.
From a market sample of 20 beds, Illac acquired 580 more to make his dormitory 600-ned strong. He also had to sell some of his investments to help start up the business. To cut expenses, he himself dipped his hands into work needed for redecoration of the area. “I was the architect, the interior designer of the comfort rooms, I did the bedding, all those little things I had to do for this dormitory at the start.”
And so by mid 2001, the dormitory was ready for operation. Illac though was not prepared for the anxiety of getting into such kind of endeavor.
“I was scared. At first, I was so excited, happy…but when I saw my dormitory ready it was scary. I was saying ‘This is it. This is where I invested my money.’ I was praying all the time!”
His worries grew after failing to get a tenant despite advertising his business along the stretch of Kalaw for a week. Adding up to his anxiety was the most of those who promised him tenants backed out in the last minute.
The Story of a Candle Business Owner
Candle-making lights the future of the Ludgarda family from Angono.
Mrs. Rose Lugarda came to Angono (from Darangan, Rizal, Philippines) in 1972 to work for Rosin Candles owned by her soon-to-be husband’s family. Almost three decades of experience enabled her to master not only the candle-making process but the business operations as well.
It was 8 years ago when Rose and her husband decided to build a separate factory and run their own candle-making business. Unfortunately, this decision was the result of problems and misunderstandings with her in-laws. But fate has a funny way of turning bad things into good.
In 2000, upon the advice of her cousin, Aling Rose attended a two-day training on aroma candle-making at the Technological Livelihood and Resource Institute (TLRC).
“It was my cousin who told me about it. She herself wanted to have her own business. She told me about the TLRC training for aroma candle-making. Since I have a lot of clients asking me about aroma candles, I attended the two-day training last year.
“It was also at TLRC where I learned the art of decorating the candles,” Rose said.
Starting the business was not easy. Aside from shunning away from the shadow of the “original” family business, Rose and her husband needed a fairly large capital.
“We invested an initial capital of P120,000. We got the money from selling about 15 pigs that we raised for some time. Our workers are composed of family members. So this is now our own family business.”
On regular days, only three workers are needed to get the work done as large demand for candles is only seasonal. I visited the factory and found the whole family busy molding and packing their products for immediate delivery.
“Actually, bigger profit only comes when there are special occasions. But we continuously make candles all year round because we have dealers all over Rizal—Antipolo, Morong, Binangonan, Cardona—who sell our products. Even some of our clients from the other factory now come to us for their supply.”
Rose Candles has established quite a respectable network of dealers around the province of RIzal. Most of them are found in churches or small stalls and stores. Rose herself is renting a small place just along Kalayaan Road in Angono to sell her candles.
Rose is hoping that she can raise a bigger capital to help her business. Part of her dream is putting up kiosks in malls around Manila. “If we will have money, we would like to increase our production, purchase new and better equipment, and maybe have some stores in Manila.”
Making the Business a Family Affair
“Our success depends on the satisfaction of our clients.” This is the foremost principle of the Sebastian Family—the people behind Terestian Craft.
Starting out as a simple hobby by Mrs. Teresita Sebastian in August 2000, attractive and unique picture frames, colorful paper flowers and decorative boxes (with handmade paper as the basic material) were the first products of the company. She actually made these merely as gifts to family and friends or as decorations at home. But when a friend ordered several pieces, Mrs. Sebastian began to take this hobby seriously, encouraging immediate family members of her family to join in the venture. Terestian Craft is truly a home business.
Daughter Melany Sebastian, who was then based in Manila, presently manages the business. And in a recent interview, she reveals that she never regretted her decision to leave what was then a promising career, in order to devote her full time to this growing family business. The following is the Q&A with Melany:
Q: How did you start and how much money was the initial capital?
A: The initial stage was actually a family affair. My parents, my brother and myself were the only ones involved—from the sourcing of the materials, to designing and eventually producing all the items.
Our initial capital was around P100,000 which was used to purchase a variety of handmade paper and bamboos. We also had to set-up a small working area in the backyard for production. The rest was for the purchase of other items like wood glue, handsaw, strings, and other secondary materials.
Q: Why the use of indigenous materials?
A: We decided to retain the use of indigenous materials like handmade paper and bamboo as these items abound in the locality. Since we were just starting, we wanted to make sure that sourcing the materials would not cause us any problem. Putting up a business is a tough job and if your basic materials are not readily available, then that would be another burden to carry.
Q: What were the initial problems that you encountered?
A: Since it was only us in the family who make the products, it was really tiring. We actually had to gather the bamboos near the beach and soak them in salt water. Bamboos attract insects like ants and flies, so soaking them in salt water eliminates this problem.
Then we had to design and assemble each item by ourselves. We had to be careful of each product.
Marketing was also difficult. When this was just a hobby of my mom, we never really thought that we would make money out of the products she made. But when de decided to seriously consider producing in bigger quantities, we had to think of how to sell our products.
Q: So how then were you able to market your products?
A: We had to rely on our friends, then on our friends’ friends and so on. Then we joined trade fairs to introduce our products to the bigger market.
The first trade fair we participated in was the Catandungan Festival. It was a trial and since we got positive response from those who saw our products, we continued to join in other trade fairs, mostly sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
It also helps to keep your prices competitive. Most of those who order from us actually re-sell our products, so we have to keep our prices low and rely on the quantity of their orders to obtain substantial profit.
