The Bantay Lasang of Cauayan

Bantay Lasang (literally means forest guards) volunteers, a name given to those who patrol the forests of Negros Occidental, Philippines, eagerly waited at the Camalanda-an National High School in Cauayan for us to arrive. I joined the officers and executives of the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE), Globe Telecoms, and the Ecological and Agricultural …

Learn #MarketingHacks in Bacolod

Let me divert from my usual post and share with you what other things I have busied myself recently. When my alma mater, La Consolacion College-Bacolod (LCC-B) approached me to teach Advanced Marketing subject for its Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP), I immediately gave my affirmative. The program is for adults who …

Smart wifi

Bacolod-Silay Airport is on #SmartWifi

Whenever I travel out of Bacolod, I always make sure I am at the airport way too early because the airport is a bit far from my place. I’d spend my waiting time eating, observing passengers, or looking at the view surrounding Silay. At times, I’d look at my phone or type something on my …

Negros Farmers Weekend Market

First-time at Negros Farmers Weekend Market

Since I moved back to my hometown, I have passed by in front of this property only a few times as our place is at the other side of the city. But I must admit that it has always piqued my interest. The words “Negros Farmers Weekend Market” mark the entrance of this place, located …

Lake Tarawera

Lakes and Redwoods of Rotorua

Apart from geysers, there’s more to see and explore in Rotorua, New Zealand. With about 18 lakes, a forest, several Maori villages, nearby dormant volcano, wildlife attractions, and adventure activities, Rotorua is a traveler’s haven. When we arrived in this city, Linda (guide #2 who picked us from the Hobbiton in Matamata) took us around …

Geyser Watching at Te Puia, Rotorua

Watching geysers and seeing them erupt are something I haven’t experienced before. I’m not sure if there’s one in the Philippines. I read there’s an El Minit Geyser in Mindanao but I haven’t encountered any blog post about it yet. But it was in Te Puia, Rotorua in New Zealand where I experienced the amazing …

Auckland

Garden Hopping in Auckland

Auckland is a city that is full of open spaces and greens. Gardens and parks, which are often called domains, abound in this city. One example is the Mount Eden domain. Because of its culture and environment, as well as its stability, infrastructure, healthcare, and environment, Auckland is recognized as one of the most livable …

Mount Eden

First-time in Mt. Eden

When we listed down the places we wanted to see in Auckland, Mt. Eden was among those that constantly popped out in our chats and the research I made. My former Habitat colleague, Thelma, with whom I had constant communication prior to my actual trip asked me, too, where we were heading during our third …

Auckland

Wonderful Trip to New Zealand

Never had I imagined I would travel to the land known for kiwis, Maoris and the Lord of the Rings all for free. It was in November of 2015 when I received one of Nuffnang’s blast e-mail regarding Globe Telecom’s #Wonderful Blog Competition. They had an app I had to use that will source information …

Palawud

First-time in Palawud Resto Grill and Bar

I have heard of the word “lawud” when I was still a child when fishermen manning my auntie’s boats would leave at sundown to the deep sea. Yes, “lawud” is the Hiligaynon word for the deeper part of the sea. The name Palawud for this restaurant located in Brgy. Banago in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, …

Flavor Fusion

Paella Cook-Off and Mango Festival

Summer in the Philippines is timed by end of March towards May. Apart from heading to the beaches, or any attractive body of water for that matter, it is also the season of the sweet mangoes, which are popularly cultivated in the island-province of Guimaras. This 604.57-square kilometer island is located in between Panay Island …

Oslob Heritage Park

Oslob Heritage Park

Oslob is not just a place where you can watch or swim with the whale sharks (Read: Guidelines in Whale Shark Watching in Oslob). There’s definitely more to Oslob than meets the eye. There’s neighboring Sumilon Island, which is a boat away from the town. Then there’s Tumalog Falls and Mainit Sulfuric Hot Spring, but …

Agos Ram Pump

Earth Day: Agos Ram Pump for the Countryside

We started early in the morning coming from Bacolod City going through the Murcia-Bago road onward to La Castellana, Negros Occidental for the turnover of the Agos Ram Pump project of Coca-Cola Philippines, in partnership with the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI), in celebration of Earth Day 2016. With several vehicles on convoy, we …

Lux Mundi

Murcia’s Lux Mundi Monastery & Catholic Ming Yuan College

When I tagged along with my DOT-accredited tour guide friends, Maricar and Artie, to Salvador Benedicto, they were talking about the Lux Mundi monastery in Murcia, a town between Bacolod City and Salvador Benedicto. They were planning to visit the monastery the day after but as we left Balokon Spring Resort earlier than planned, we …

Mekong Fresh Noodle and Grill

The Taste of Mekong in Bacolod

One of my favorite foreign cuisines is the Thai cuisine. When I was working in Manila Hotel, I would always take the table closest at the Thai food station in Café Ilang-Ilang whenever I eat buffet. Last year, during my Thai trip, I brought home ingredients for a Tom Yum soup, scoured the internet for …