The Philippines is rich in scenic spots that attract people from all over the globe. These scenic spots bear an outstanding physical beauty unique to the Philippines.
There are many beautiful places in Luzon. Famous all over the world are the Rice Terraces of the Ifugaos located in Benguet Province. These terraces were built 4000 years ago. Baguio City is another scenic place. It has been called the summer capital of the Philippines because of its cool climate and beautiful scenery which attract lowlanders to spend their summer vacation there.
Many local and foreign tourists enjoy the beautiful beaches of La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Pangasinan and many go island hopping in the Hundred Islands of Pangasinan.
Cagayan Valley attracts mountain lovers because of the beauty and mystery of its mountains, some of which are covered by pine trees. Salinas Salt Springs brings another place of interest. A mountain of salt has been formed as a result of the continuous outpouring of salt from the springs. Yet another place to explore are the Callao Caves in Peñablanca, Cagayan.
Bataan and Zambales in Central Luzon are well-known for their beautiful beach resorts and white sand beaches.
Batangas and Cavite have many beautiful beach resorts for local and foreign tourists. The more popular beaches in Batangas are in Matabungkay, Nasugbu, Lemery, and in Calatagan. In Cavite the most popular is in Ternate.
The hot springs in Laguna have been converted into health resorts designed especially for people who have arthritis problems. Laguna has many waterfalls and most well-known of these is the Pagsanjan Falls. A lake on the top of a mountain is found in Caliraya, Laguna, Taal Volcano and Mount Makiling are important landmarks in Batangas and Laguna respectively.
Mayon Volcano known all over the globe for its perfect cone is found in Legaspi, Albay. With its beautiful beaches, and the well-known Cagsawa Ruins, Legaspi is now a haven for both foreign and local tourists. Other known scenic spots are Tiwi Hot Springs, Bulusan Lake in Sorsogon and Lake Buhi in Camarines Sur.
A wonder of nature which is found in Central Visayas is the group of hills known as the Chocolate Hills of Bohol. The rock structure in Bohol is composed of limestone and corals and erosion has given rise to its unique landscape.
The Philippines is blessed when it comes to natural beauty that is why many tourists enjoy their vacation stay here but of course it is not just the place that keeps them coming back here. It is also the world famous hospitality.
[Tags]Philippines, Visayas, Zambales, Luzon, Travel, Batangas, Tourist, Cavite, Sorsogon[/Tags]
One of the first issues that one encounters when putting up a business in the Philippines is applying for a business name. The steps for applying for a business name in the Philippines are pretty easy. You just fill out a form, submit your Tax Identification Number, email, Zip Code, the business name application form, and pay the corresponding fee.
One particular item we need to discuss is the different requirements (documents, information etc.) we need to provide when applying for a business name. The list of requirements for a business name application is different for a single proprietorship (i.e. a business that has only one owner running it) and a corporation/partnership. Here's what we need to register a business name for different types of businesses.
Let's start with the most basic form of business, a sole proprietorship and its requirements for an application for a business name. The applicant for a business name should be at least 18 years old. The applicant for a business name of a sole proprietorship must be a Filipino citizen.
You will also be required to submit two ID pictures (size two inches by two inches, or your regular ID photo size). The photo should have been taken within one year of applying for the business name. You should place your signature at the back of each photo.
If the Filipino citizen's name seems to be of foreign nationality he is to submit proof of his citizenship. Requirements to provide proof are documents like a birth certificate, PRC ID, and a voter's ID. If the applicant for a business name is a naturalized citizen he must submit a Naturalization certificate and Oath of allegiance, an affidavit of election, or an ID card issued by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines or Professional Regulatory Commission.
Lastly, a business name applicant should pay a fee of Php 315 for processing and documentary stamp.
Now let's move on to corporations, partnerships or cooperatives. Other than the above mentioned requirements, when applying for a business name we would need the following as standard requirements for corporations and partnerships. First would be a filled out application form. You would also need a photocopy of the SEC and CDA registrations. Applicants for a business name should also submit their articles of incorporation if they're putting up a corporation, partnership, or cooperative.
You will also be required to submit a board resolution for the registration of the business name and the address of the business (i.e. if it is applicable -- some businesses don't have a fixed physical address). Lastly an applicant corporation for business name is required to pay Php 500 as a processing fee.
When putting up a business in the Philippines one must decide the type of business and submit the application requirements to apply for a business name.
[Tags]Business, Philippines, Business Name, Filipino, SEC, CDA[/Tags]
Expat banking now makes managing finances even away from home a much easier thing to do. People should have nothing to worry about now when it comes to leaving home and their possessions behind. Through expat banking, nothing gets wasted even if one is away from current finances.
The first important thing to do would be to consider a specific bank account which can serve your expat banking needs. You would do well to ask the opinion of a tax adviser to make sure that everything gets covered as you get into a new account. May expats usually find local currency accounts as the best way to manage expat banking. Such type of bank account would also enable you to have an offshore account which can receive salary and in the long run, bigger savings get accumulated. In the European Union, many local banks enable its patrons with flexible processes for daily money transfers. However, other countries may still require you to build up on a certain credit rate first before you can get into expat banking. This is an important reason why you should get all your information first before zeroing on one particular account.
To avoid these problems, you can choose to open an account in an offshore bank to make things easier for you. These kinds of banks usually provide its customers with check books together with a pin card and a chip. There are also available expat banking services done through the Internet sand through phone. Usually, banks like these are subsidiaries of big bank players and just do your research well to get well informed.
In addition, offshore banks are also more convenient. This is because you can actually make applications through online registration. This definitely saves you a lot of time and effort. Expat banking thus becomes easier and at its finest. After filling up the needed forms, you can download them to print them and then post them to the affiliated bank. Be mindful of the charges you need to pay when making these transactions. Offshore accounts really do a lot to make your savings grow.
Also, offshore banks can help your expat banking needs by allowing you with enough flexibility to access your money. No matter where you are in the world, you can be sure to get in touch with your finances at however way most convenient for you. Expat banking becomes a breeze rather than a burden.
Traveling to the Philippines is almost always tantamount to going to its beaches. Being an archipelago of seven thousand one hundred and seven islands and islets, it is an inevitable temptation to visit a beach resort somewhere around the country.
Here are some helpful tips to make your beach vacation the very best:
1. SET your budget.
2. Always have a checklist of what you want or expect in the place you would like to stay (price range, cleanliness, amenities, kind of food, etc.).
3. Know the location, culture and/or topography of the vacation spot.
4. Time your visit during the proper season. FYI: There are only two seasons in the Philippines, the wet/rainy and dry/summer season. The rainy season starts from June to February while summer starts before April and ends in May.
5. Beaches are very populated during summer as most tourists prefer to experience the beach while being drenched under the hot sunshine. This is during the months of April and May.
6. Always know the full details of the accommodation. There are resorts that have a cheap entrance fee but will charge you twice as much upon usage of any of its amenities while there are other resorts that charge a very high entrance fee but will allow full and unlimited usage of its amenities.
7. Weigh your options very well. Check #1 & #2.
8. Do not compromise your vacation with the cheap price of accommodation. Always compare prices with other places located in the same vacation spot. In canvassing, you might come across a resort which offers only 150pesos/night while the one adjacent to it offers 2,500++pesos/night. While the former is really affordable, it may not be the type of cottage or room you would like to end up in the night. Check #6 and compare it with #2.
9. There are different types of beaches in the Philippines depending on the color of the sand: black, brown and/or white. The black sand beaches are easy finds while the most sought after are the white sand beaches. There are also man-made white sand beaches in the Philippines, but it really has no significant difference as compared to the natural ones. Check #6.
10. In going out, always bring your sun block and umbrella with you.
11. Always apply sun block lotion each time you plan to expose your skin under the sun. In buying sun blocks, always check the expiration date of the lotion. Choose a sun block which has an SPF of at least 30.
12. If you are going to have a tan, do it before 10 am or after 3pm. Avoid exposing your skin directly under the sun, between 10am and 3pm, to avoid skin cancer or UV-damage on your skin.
13. If you are a foreigner, it is best that you bring with you a trusted friend who knows or can speak the Filipino language or the dialect of the place you plan to visit. You should also be able to familiarize yourself with the Philippine currency, its coins and bills, before deciding to visit your vacation spot.
14. Always bring with you peso coins and small bills especially if you intend to travel via public transportation.
15. Do not go island-hopping without having your dollars/foreign bills changed to Philippine currency.
Popular locations / beach vacation spots in the Philippines are the following: Boracay Island, Puerto Galera, Mindoro Island, Pagudpod, La Union, Palawan, Punta Fuego, Laia, Batangas, Caylabne, Cavite, Cebu, Bohol, Catanduanes Island, Pangasinan and the Batanes Group of Islands.
Ayala Center in Makati, Philippines is the most prominent development center in the city that is home to a myriad of shopping, dining, hotel and recreational establishments. One of the well-known shopping malls in the area is Ayala Center Greenbelt in Legaspi Village. This large-scale mall is divided into five areas, each of which has its unique theme. Greenbelt 5 is a new addition to the development and is home to upscale Filipino dining establishments (among other businesses). So here is a Philippines restaurant guide for Filipino fine-dining in Greenbelt 5, Makati.
Restaurante Pia Y Damaso
The first establishment in this Philippines restaurant guide is Restaurante Pia Y Damaso at the second level of Greenbelt 5. The place has an intimate and cozy ambience of white and grays. This restaurant is famous for its local cuisine that has often been described as colonial. That is menu that high society enjoyed which, in this case, was leaning towards the Spanish colonial history in the country.
Their signature dishes like callos (tripe stew) and lengua (ox tongue) and other entrées range from 250 pesos to 600 pesos. Desserts, however, are more of contemporary sweets like truffle cakes and cheesecakes consecutively named Sisa and Maria Clara (both names originating from a Filipino novel, Noli Me Tangere, by Dr. Jose Rizal).
Fely J’s Kitchen
Fely J’s Kitchen, the second café in this Philippines restaurant guide of Filipino fine-dining at Greenbelt 5, is also on the second floor. First impressions as you enter the establishment would include a homey-feel with its wood panels, furniture and old pictures hanging on the walls. Present-day local favorites are served in Fely J’s like beef mechado, adobo, ginataang gulay and kaldereta with a price range of 250 pesos to 450 pesos per main course.
Travel Café Philippines
Travel Café Philippines is a noteworthy dining place this Philippines restaurant guide because it is conceptualized by Tourism Secretary, Ace Durano. The goal is to promote tourism in the country by sectioning off the café and naming them after regional destinations and by appropriately captioning menu items as well.
Some of the notable items that Travel Café offers is the Alamid coffee or Civet coffee. Though the place concentrates more on coffees like kapeng barako and local house blends, they also serve regional fare like kare-kare, menudo, and chicken tinola for about 250 pesos and above per entrée.
This Philippines restaurant guide for Filipino fine-dining Makati includes: Restaurante Pia Y Damaso, Fely J’s Kitchen and Travel Café Philippines. So if you manage to drop by Ayala Center and are yearning to experience upscale dining with local fare, you only need to go to the second floor of Greenbelt 5 in Legaspi Village where all the establishments in this Philippines restaurant guide are situated.
General Santos City is proud to be the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines". Aside from tunas, the city has also other things to be proud of. The tourist spots and festivals of General Santos City make it a great destination for tourists.
A tourist attraction in General Santos City is a social gathering festival called Kalilangan sa Heneral Santos. Kalilangan is from the word "Kalilang" meaning commemoration or celebration according to the Maguindanaon dialect.
The people of General Santos City gather socially for this festival where they exchange amenities among native leaders, ally, elders, and subordinates. The festival is a pageantry of various colorful ethnic rites, traditions, and rituals such as religious ceremonies, marriage celebrations, anniversaries, enthronement of royal dignitaries, funerals, thanksgiving, and other social activities.
The Kalaja Karsts Area is a wonderful destination for tourists in General Santos City. The area is about 15 kilometers from General Santos City's northeast side at Barangay Conel. The name Kalaha Karsts Area is derived from the word Kalaha, which means frying pot due to the formation of the karsts made millions of years ago. Waterfalls and caves are abundant in this area.
Tourists can explore the Kalaja Cave in General Santos City. The cave has a pool inside that is about three meters deep and 22 meters wide.
Bunga Spring is found in the center of the Kalaha Karsts Area in General Santos City. The place has a campsite for tourists and stargazing is a great night activity.
Another tourist destination in General Santos City is the Malakong Gorge just about three-and-a-half kilometers away from Kalaja Cave. This is an excellent place for boulder and rock climbing for novices and beginners. Camping for tourists are also allowed.
Just a 30-minute drive from the Kalaha Karsts Area is the Nopol Hills. It is General Santos City's highest camping ground and gives a good panoramic view of Sarangani Bay and the neighboring towns. Hiking in Nopol Hills in the afternoon will give you a good view of the sunset at the bay.
Since tuna fishing is a major industry, General Santos City has its Tuna Festival every September as part of the city's charter celebration. The festival is a three-day celebration in General Santos City. It is a thanksgiving festival for the bounty of the sea especially the tuna and tuna-like species. Various tuna cuisine and other culinary competitions can be witnessed. Street dancing and fluvial parades are the main attractions of the festival.
General Santos City is outside the typhoon belt of the Philippines. You can expect good weather condition throughout the year.
Tourists will really enjoy their visit to General Santos City. The sites and celebrations bring local and foreign tourists closer to nature.
Dishes in the Philippines are quite simple to prepare and would require less cooking utensils. A Chinese wok should do the trick when cooking food in the Philippines. We'll discuss some of the basics of cooking in the Philippines. We'll also discuss the cooking styles in the Philippines, as well as the common ingredients used.
In the Philippines, when you are cooking food, you don't need any special styles or skills. Most dishes in the Philippines are stewed, sauteed, broiled, braised, or fried. You will rarely find baked dishes in Philippine cooking. That is typical for a tropical cuisine.
There are two major cooking styles of preparing and cooking food in the Philippines. The first cooking style has vinegar as a major theme. You'll find that popular dishes in the Philippines like adobo, paksiw, and sinigang are based on the sour taste. Dishes like these are not necessarily based on the sour taste alone but more on the preserving effects of vinegar.
This first major cooking style in the Philippines focuses more on preserving the food. Dishes prepared in this cooking style are meant to last longer even without refrigeration. The food created in this cooking style seems to taste better after some time.
The second major cooking style in the Philippines has Patis as its major theme. Patis is the Philippine equivalent of the Vietnamese "Nuoc mam" or the Thai "nampla". It is a very salty, thin, fish or shrimp sauce.
This cooking style focuses on accentuating the taste of the food using Patis. Though Patis is kind of rare and sometimes is really hard to find, it still remains a major theme among many dishes in the Philippines. Where patis is not found, salt is used as a substitute in this cooking style.
The ingredients used in Philippine cooking have either an Oriental (more Chinese by the way) or Hispanic influence. Let's take a look at the common ingredients used in Philippine cooking.
Coconut milk is common in Philippine cooking, quite popular in the Bicol region. Anatto seeds (known in the Philippines as "achuette") can be bought in the Philippines at the local wet market or in groceries in four or eight ounce bottles. This can be bought in oriental stores in the US.
Bagoong (fermented shrimp or fish paste) is quite popular in the northern and southern regions of the Philippines. This can also be bought in any oriental food store.
The Chinese influence in Philippine cooking comes in through several ingredients such as dried Chinese mushrooms, Chinese sausages, bak choy, and an array of different kinds of noodles. All these can be bought at local food markets or in oriental stores in the East and West coasts of the United States.
Cooking the dishes of the Philippines is quite easy to begin with. The ingredients are readily available and if not, substitute ingredients can still be used. The cooking styles in the Philippines were developed with practicality in mind. Try them out and enjoy a taste that is uniquely Filipino.
[Tags]Filipino Cuisine, Food, Philippines, Pinoy food, Philippine dishes, Cooking[Tags]
Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan is a city blessed with natural wonders. A visit to the city will include not just sightseeing but also communing with nature. Island hopping, trekking, scuba diving and river exploration are some of the activities that a tourist will enjoy in Puerto Princesa.
View decks are littered across the city. Visiting this view decks offers a visitor a panoramic view of the city. The notable of these are the Buenavista View Deck (offers excellent view of Ulugan Bay), Salvacion View Deck (the panoramic vista of Honda Bay can be seen here), and Santa Monica Ranch.
Strolling around the Santa Monica Heights affords the tourist appreciate the city. Santa Monica Heights is where the city hall is located. Near this area is the bay walk where a leisurely walk includes a stunning sunset view with the sea in the foreground and the mountains in the background.
The city is famous for the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. This natural river-cave system is on the UNESCO Heritage List. Tour this subterranean river park on a guided boat tour. One will see breathtaking cave formations studded by different stalactites and stalagmites. This is a unique sightseeing activity as one gets close to seldom-explored wonders of caves. Also, nature buffs will enjoy this place as they go bird watching and appreciate the endangered Palawan peacock and other 60 bird species. Hiking in the Monkey Trail of this park will complete a visit to this park.
Puerto Princesa gives tourists the chance to enjoy aquatic activities. Honda Bay Islands, with its white sand, beautiful corals and clear waters are perfect for snorkeling, swimming or just sunbathing. The coral formations off Pandan Island, Panglima Reef and Arreceffi Island offer a chance for scuba divers to engage in their favorite activity. The beaches of Negation Beach and Naps and Beach have power white sands and clear waters for waders and swimmers.
Mountaineering and rock climbing is another activity Puerto Princesa is known for by tourists. Atop Cleopatra’s Needed offers a breathtaking panorama of the city. This 1,600 meter-mountain is perfect for hiking and mountaineering as one gets to ford rivers and streams and appreciate the flora and fauna endemic to the city. Also, the limestone and marble cliffs or Karst Mountains in Cabayugan and Tagabinet are famous among rock climbers.
A tourist who is a consummate shopper will not be disappointed in Puerto Princesa. The Iwahig Souvenir Shop is very unique since the souvenirs sold at this shop are made by inmates from the Iwahig Penal Colony. Kamantian Handicraft, on the other hand, sells handicrafts and hand-woven items.
New challenges always face expats the first time they set foot in the country. One of the most serious and life-threatening problem that must be immediately addressed is---not really terrorism---but food. Specifically, where to buy expat food that foreign residents often terribly miss and yearn for, especially in the tropics.
The good news is that today the Philippines is more open to expat-food type of cuisines, meaning, the native tongue keeps insisting on accustoming itself with global dishes as an offshoot probably to the thrust to go global in everything. Thus, the country, especially the major cities, is alive with fast food chains that serve expat food varieties targeting not so much the locals as they are a foreign clientele. In fact, the Philippines in no longer just the country in the Far East that it once was but a cosmopolitan tourist destination for expats from all over the world.
Another relevant development here is that the country is, in fact, fast becoming popular for serving one of the best classy expat food items in these parts, sometimes with quality better than those found in their country of origin. This is possible due to the influx of expats who share their culinary technology to the locals, or locals who extracted the technology in their stint abroad. Hence, premier hotels and luxury inns in Philippine cities and municipalities regularly feature special expat food specialties subtly seasoned and concocted for the discriminating foreign palate.
Even the regular fast foods in the country are mostly attuned to expat food standards and the preferences of foreign nationals in the country. Most expats have already accustomed their tastes to native flavors and often prefer a sampling of expat food in native flavors. A good number of them have also altogether adapted the delight of native foods and actually crave for exotic Filipino delicacies. They go out of their way seeking original recipes in the countryside.
But generally, the country is a versatile resource for any kind of food, native or otherwise. Expat food is no longer a big issue in the face of a growing global outlook in the country, and numerous expats have been comfortably settled here, without much ado on expat food. In fact, to stretch it a little, some just come here for expat food.
This may sound a bit exaggerated but the national cuisine perhaps may be expat food. On second, as we look around, this may not be too much to claim.
Makati is known as the most progressive city in Metro Manila and this can be attributed to the central business district found here. The Philippine Stock Exchange for instance has made Makati its residence as well as the elite Makati Business Club. Despite all the economic activity in this city, Makati sightseeing is still very much possible and one can expect a pleasant mix of something modern and something historical.
Very near the commercial business district of Makati is the Ayala Museum and one might initially think that this Makati sightseeing destination is just like any other museum but once one goes here, one will see the big difference. Makati sightseeing has never been this educational and fun at the same time. The Ayala Foundation erected the Ayala Museum sometime in 1967 but one should not think that this is a dilapidated building that has not been maintained. On the contrary, the ambience of the Ayala Museum is something very fresh and modern and it has an expansive collection of artifacts, paintings, ethnic tools and many others. The Ayala Museum presents Philippine history in a completely different and amusing way through dioramas and there are paintings here of renowned artists from the 19th century. After a tour of the Ayala Museum, one can try out the unique dishes at the Museum Caf' on the ground floor. This Makati sightseeing destination aims to mix history with our modern lives and it has done so successfully.
The vast area of Fort Bonifacio is a combination of classy residential condominiums and bustling commercial establishments. This Makati sightseeing destination is a great place to go to if one wants to see an American suburb with a touch of Filipino. Fort Bonifacio has roads that are wide and well paved, there are restaurants that cater to whatever dish one might be looking for and when night falls, neon lights from bars and clubs light the streets for some ultimate partying. The attraction to this Makati sightseeing destination is the fact that everything one might think of doing can be done at Fort Bonifacio. The residents of Fort Bonifacio would attest to the fact that one never has to leave this area to go shopping, clubbing or get one's car fixed. Fort Bonifacio is so named because it was formerly a US military base that was turned over to the Philippine government in 1949. The local government then decided to sell its vast area to real estate developers.