Cebu City has been the considered to be center of industry, education, trade and business. It has become more than a place but it has been a symbol of progress and development in in the Visayas Region. Being there is tantamount (almost) as being in Metro Manila (capital of the Philippines). The famous Magellan’s Cross is also one of the main tourist attractions of Cebu City.
Since Cebu City is a highly-developed metropolitan in the Philippines, there are a lot of must-see places around the vicinity. Most of these places have historical and religious significance throughout the history of Cebu. Two (2) of my favorite places are Casa Gorordo Museum and Basilica of Santo Niño (Basilica del Santo Niño or Basilica of the Holy Child). Casa Gorordo is a well-maintained grand mansion with Spanish-themed design. The said mansion is built mostly of wood and it has one of the best garden settings I had seen. The Basilica of Santo Niño, however, has been regarded as the oldest religious artifact or relic in the Philippines. Unlike old churches around the world, this church is still active-meaning devotees, not just tourists, flock the church for Catholic liturgical or spiritual activities. This church marked as the symbol for the conversion of the natives of Cebu (since the Spanish colonization) to Christianity or Catholicism.
Philippines ‘King of the Road’ or Jeepneys are the main transporters of Cebu City. These jeeps are designed with colorful patterns that tourists would surely love! Minimum charge for the fare of this public utility vehicle is usually uniformed with standard fare in the Philippines. Buses are also available in the city transporting visitors on all parts of the island. Of course, if one has a bigger and heftier budget and would like to have some personal approach as per roaming around the city, taking or renting a cab would be the best option. Taxis are available virtually around the city. As per experience, it is always best to have somebody (a relative or local in the city) to guide through the city to do some bargaining to save some hard-earned money. Nonetheless, taxis provide better comfort compare to the usual public jeeps or buses, and of course, it always comes with an additional cost. Before I forget, tricycles are also available as one of the popular public vehicles that can get tourists and visitors alike in short distance travels.
Knowing and being informed of something about a certain place would definitely spell a big difference in traveling, roaming or exploring experience. As for me, it eases up away some tension or pressure and let me enjoy my precious moments of vacation worthwhile. Cebu has been a wonderful destination for me and I would be looking forward to be there anytime given another opportunity.
General Santos is one of the modern cities in the Philippines. It ranks as among the best cities to live in Mindanao. The city is home to many companies and factories. It is now known as one of the best places to visit while you are in the Philippines. There are many things you can see and do if you are interested in visiting General Santos.
1. Kalaja Karst Area - This is a place you should definitely visit if you are in General Santos. It is located nine miles from the town of Conel. This is a reserve with natural wonders that feature different animals as well as a camping sight for campers. You can even check out the Kalaja cave and have a spelunking adventure. In the cave is water about ten feet deep. They always give a guide when you are visiting the cave. The reserve also has some of the best waterfalls in General Santos. You can also have a hiking or climbing adventure with your friends while going around the reserve.
2.Lake Sebu – This is where the tribe known as the T’boli lived before. They like living within a short distance from the lake. The lake is so clear and pure. The whole area surrounding the lake is peaceful. Many people believed that it is a mythical and miraculous body of water.
3. Lake Maughan - This is another lake with a natural reserve. Tourists visiting can see exotic flora and fauna.
4. The Kalsangi Golf course – This is a good place to visit for golf fans. This is next to the Mountain called Matutum.
5. The settlements of the tribe of the T’bolis – There are still some T’bolis living in the western side of Sebu lake. Tourists can visit the place and you can have an educational experience about their culture.
6. Mountain Matutum – This is a mountain that is two thousand meters tall. This is one of the highest peaks in Mindanao. Many Filipino climbers have climbed the mountain and they enjoy the nice view and the variation in the landscape.
7. Nopol Hills- These are hills near General Santos city. If you are coming from Kalaja Karsts you can easily go to the hills in just thirty minutes. From the hills tourists can see the Sarangani Bay and have a good view of it. Most people go there to enjoy the sunset with their families and friends.
Entrepreneurial seafarers can take their first shot at business and all they need to get going is of course the capital. They can start with a capital of as little as P2,000.
Easily, the hottest and trendiest option for many entrepreneurs is franchising. It is one venture that offers you some small success even before you start. What’s good with franchising is that you’re linking up with established names such as Jollibee, Goto King, Foto Me, 3M Pizza, Shell, Caltex, and many others. Other than the financial resources, an interested franchisee only needs to present a letter of intent detailing his initial business plan. This is because companies understandably screen their prospective franchisees to ensure that the business’ image is not tarnished.
So rather than spend your hard-earned money in shopping or placing them in banks which could only earn a measly two percent interest annually, why not pick from among the following business undertakings you can possibly venture into:
? Gas Station – Investing in a gasoline station business would require a capital of from P3 to P5 million. That is if you apply as dealer of the Big 3 oil companies: Shell, Caltex, or Petron. New oil players such as Total and Flying V offer lower packages, while others can make you a gas station owner for less than P200,000. Of course, the location must be considered to realize profits early.
? Fastfood Chain – You don’t need to despair if you can’t afford the franchising cost of Jollibee, McDonald’s, Max’s, or Goldilocks which cost at least P10 million. A relatively smaller capital can give you a franchise of a smaller, but nonetheless, recognized fastfood chain. Why not try 3M Pizza, Goto King, Mister Donut, Potato Corner, Lapid’s Chicharon and Todits? A Potato Corner franchise costs from P200,000 to P300,000. Sure you can also get a food franchise for P100,000 but these are the less popular ones. Pooling your resources, however, can still bring your dreams of becoming an owner of a big-ticket fastfood franchise.
? Laundry Shop – Today’s fast-paced and highly urbanized lifestyle led to the instant success of laundry shops. The old reliable neighborhood lavandera can still do your laundry, but the trend nowadays is the laundry shop. A Lavandera Ko franchise would not cost at least P800,000, including self-serve washing machines, dryer, and chemicals. For around P500,000, you may consider opening your own laundry shop. Laundry machine suppliers offer friendly financing terms. Go check out the telephone directory.
? Water Station – Some 20 years ago, a group of students in a masters business class proposed a plan to undertake the possibility of a bottled water industry as part of their thesis. Their professor, however, thinking that such idea was too far out did not approve it. The rest, as everyone knows, is history. With pollution all around us, tap water nowadays is no longer considered safe and is largely used only for washing and bathing. To be a water station owner carrying known brands such as Agua Vida, you have to shell out from P25,000 to P500,000. You can check daily newspaper advertisements for details.
They say: "If you can't beat it, join it."
As with many life-changing decisions that people make, many people became full-fledged outdoor enthusiasts for many reasons. It only used to be a dream, so far-fetched they never imagined that someday they would be among the privileged few who, despite a chaotic schedule, would still find time to commune with nature, meet new friends, discover hidden wonders, and have the pleasure of writing about it.
Mountaineering has been in existence for years. In the Philippines, it met its glorious height in the early 1990s. Ascents to the country's highest peak have become more frequent that throughout the years thousands have conquered and survived. The sport itself has lured thousands in its web of danger, challenges and risks.
Many were lured into the sport itself. How could they not with mountaineer friends from all over the Philippines? These people would often tell stories about their climbs, their treks that many have become envious of them. They weren't comfortable about it at first. They fought so hard but they couldn't beat the desire to experience it myself so they joined.
And it was one of the greatest decisions they've made and they're extremely glad they joined. It brought me so much pleasure that they would gladly go exploring some more despite the dangers and risks it poses and a chaotic schedule - especially now when most people do both day and night shifts at work. Not only that they would also help promote tourism in their own little way.
The islands in Panay abound in places worth laying eyes on. One only has to have the passion and daring to visit them. One can witness the majesty of nature in its ethereal seclusion for just a day. To bask in the allure of nature doesn't have to be spending a night or two sleeping on the earth. Take our journeys for example, we explored three caves in Guimaras Island for a day. We climbed five waterfalls in Barotac Viejo for a day too. We bouldered the rocks of Dingle that have been withered by time for a day also. But if you really want to feel the extremes in the wilds, then go camping for a night or more.
Believe me. You will find it refreshing and soul-gratifying.
Got Scabs? Climbing salves are now available so you don't have to worry.
Live with courage. Have a passion for the outdoors. Be a nature lover for a change.
Forget about scabs.
They'll heal.
Mine did.
His did.
Ours did.
Yours will too.
[Tags]Philippines, Outdoor Activities, Mountaineering, Caves, Rocks, Guimaras, Mountain Climbing, Spelunking, Panay, Highest Peak[/Tags]
Philippine native and local cuisines are always special dishes worth serving on elegant dinner tables. They will never let us down even in dinner banquets. Here are some basic culinary techniques for cooking some local dishes.
Baking. When food is cooked in dry heat in an oven, modern or stone ovens, the cuisine is baked. With modern ovens, it is important to keep track of the oven heat with the use of thermometers. Most ovens, though, have built in varying heat degrees. Baked local dishes are baked spaghetti, lasagna, creamed lapu-lapu, and other delicacies.
Braising local cuisines is when the meat or veggies are cooked to a brown in some amount of fried fat. Then it is followed with simmering with some water, slow cooked for a long period of time. The lid is kept tightly closed over the food. Braising is done especially with dishes that have tough meat cuts to tenderize. Braising, with its slow cooking, also allows the full flavors of cuisines come out and mix thoroughly with other flavors from the spices.
Sautéing is a popular Philippine cooking procedure for cooking native cuisines. It often involves minced garlic and chopped onions and sliced tomatoes sautéed in an amount of cooking oil. When light brown, other ingredients---meat, fish, vegetables and other spices----are poured in and mixed with the sautéed ingredients. Sautéing brings out the savory flavors of dishes and blends different food flavors into a subtle mix. Butter is also a favorite for sautéing dishes and other classy cuisines.
Simmering takes a longer time to cure and cook some cuisines. It is slowly cooking local dishes with the use of water that later turns into s savory stew. It is cooked on low fire. Simmering meat often takes long hours, while fish and veggies often take some minutes. The longer simmering takes, the better the local cuisines are bound to come out.
Boiling is another popular cooking technique. Boiling tenderizes and blends cuisine flavors with a shorter time span. Boiling is often just a matter of 3 to 5 minutes. Longer than this, it means simmering the local dish is what’s needed. Long hours of boiling may spoil food flavors---or even burn the food---not to mention the enormous and impractical electric consumption.
The techniques for cooking local cuisines are varied, and one cooking technique is often specified for cooking a particular local dish. It is a culinary wisdom to learn them all.
The province of Zamboanga is but one of the beautiful provinces found in the southern part of the city and a place that one must definitely go to when visiting the Philippines. Flowers and fruits are just a few of the things that Zamboanga offers aside from its diverse culture. Good hotels in Zamboanga are easy to find and here are a few of them.
Found on Governor Camins Road, this modern Zamboanga hotel offers the facilities that we simply can’t live without in this day and age. Garden Orchid Hotel has a well maintained garden thriving with orchids, some of which are rare finds and this 4 star Zamboanga hotel is a great option for businessmen and families alike. The swimming pool can accommodate very young children and adults, and the rooms at this Zamboanga hotel are cozy and elegantly furnished. The lobby itself is huge and welcoming and everyone is always so warm and friendly at the Garden Orchid Hotel.
There are 3 types of rooms at the Garden Orchid Hotel and they are the executive suite, superior and deluxe room. All are air conditioned, equipped with cable television, radio, telephone and a private bathroom. The executive suite though at the Garden Orchid Hotel has a receiving area and this first class home away from home looks out to this Zamboanga hotel’s expansive gardens and it has a king sized bed. Room rates at the Garden Orchid Hotel start at Php 3,000.
From the outside the Hotel Perlita looks like a hotel straight out of the Spanish times but once inside, one will realize that this Zamboanga hotel is very modern. The front desk and the lobby are made from marble and the furnishings are straight out of the modern age. Hotel Perlita has a ballroom perfect for events such as birthdays or wedding receptions and the function room can accommodate up to 50 people. There are two restaurants at this Zamboanga hotel and they are the Lobby Café and the more stylish Montemar Restaurant. The Lobby Café of Hotel Perlita is perfect for breakfast and snacks while Montemar Restaurant is more for couples or families who want fine dining. Although there is no swimming pool, the Montemar Restaurant of Hotel Perlita does have a rooftop deck where it’s very breezy and one gets a picturesque view of the town.
Found on Mayor Jaldon Street in Zamboanga Street, Hotel Perlita’s room rates start at Php 1,800 per room on a nightly basis and each room can accommodate 2 people.
Do you know what will make your most anticipated Boracay vacation in the Philippines the most perfect getaway trip? Checking in at a most trusted hotel in Boracay would do the trick.
As dozens of Boracay hotels abound in this number one tourist destination spot in the Philippines, there still remains a couple of hotels which are considered to be tried and tested by thousands of Boracay tourists every year. One of those very few elite Boracay hotels is the Panoly Resort Hotel.
Panoly Resort Hotel is the first world-class hotel in Boracay, Philippines. It started operating in November 1989 and has since claimed the most trusted tourist hotel in Boracay. The hotel’s expertise in providing quality hotel services made gained them a triple A rating from the Philippine Government's Department of Tourism. Panoly Resort Hotel still remains committed to improving their world-class hotel service as it continues to gain recognition from tourists and tourism-related agencies, alike.
As guests check in at Panoly Resort hotel, they are expected to marvel at the warm service that the hotel staff renders. Filipino hospitality and cheerfulness are the distinct signatures of Panoly Resort Hotel. Its hotel staff are specially trained to make all of their guests feel comfortable and at home with the hotel’s facilities and services. The stay at Panoly Resort Hotel is complemented with gorgeous Boracay sceneries including the white sand beach, breathtaking sunsets and distinctly Filipino dishes.
For those looking for more adventurous undertakings, Panoly Resort Hotel offers a wide range of recreational and relaxing activities for them. Guests can experience the windsurfing thrill as Boracay is considered to be one of the Philippines’ top windsurfing locations. They can also explore the marvelous underwater environment through diving and snorkeling. They can sail away with the hotel’s available yachts, banca, kayaks and paddle boats for a more relaxing adventure. Guests are also offered with the supreme relaxation by availing of Panoly Resort Hotel’s spa.
But, those aren’t the only things the hotel offers. Other state-of-the-art facilities are something that every guest should take advantage of. The resort has forty cottages and its four-story building has 47 deluxe rooms and eight VIP suites. These rooms have veranda to be able to provide guests with breathtaking Boracay sceneries by just taking a peek from their own rooms. All the rooms are fully air conditioned with hot and cold shower, cable TV and a mini bar. The rooms also reflect the distinct Filipino culture with the rooms’ artistic local furniture which does not fail to create a world-class Filipino ambiance.