Category: with locals
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10 Quirky, Quaint Stays in the Philippines
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Although I have traveled around the Philippines, I just barely scratched the surface as there remains a big chunk of territory that is still left uncharted by this blogger. Work assignments have provided me with the opportunity to go to major cities within our 7,107-island nation. Plus, the cheapest flights…
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Silk Making at OISCA Bago
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I have heard of the popular silk making industry in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Philippines that is run by OISCA, or Organization for Industrial, Spiritual & Cultural Advancement. The organization started in Japan in 1961 and the OISCA-Philippines Chapter was organized in Manila in 1965. However, it was not until…
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10th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival
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Whenever the Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival is being held each year, it is fun to go to the Provincial Capitol Grounds in Bacolod City and check out the many fresh and organic products of farmers in Negros Island and neighboring islands in the Philippines. It was in 2014 whenĀ I…
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First-time in Taiwan: Exploring Taipei and New Taipei
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Taiwan was like our next-door neighbor, often bypassed as a travel destination. If not for a friend who visited the country and convinced us to check it out, our mini-expedition would not have happened. In hindsight, I recall earlier days when friends contemplated going to Taiwan, especially during the height…
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18th St. Palapala Restaurant: Fresh Catch
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Palapala, to Negrenses, is synonymous with having fresh seafood on display and you can have them cooked however you want. It has become a tourist attraction and the whole experience of choosing your fresh seafood and have them cooked is something that many travelers look forward to enjoying. I have…
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Chikaan SM Bacolod Food Galore
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Recently, we had some guests from Manila. She contacted her friends in Bacolod for a dinner together. Where else to enjoy good Filipino food with a Visayan trademark but in Chikaan at the newly opened store in SM City Bacolod? [UPDATE 2023: The restaurant has closed and is no longer…
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A Singaporean Food Festival at L’Fisher
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And a Chance to Fly to Singapore via Cebu Pacific for Free! For those in Bacolod who are craving for a taste of Singapore, you can enjoy one this weekend as L’Fisher Hotel heats up its international buffet a notch higher with the inclusion of a Singaporean Food Fest on…
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Homey Saltimboca Tourist Inn
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There I was cooling off in the pool, floating and basking in the morning sun. I loved the tranquility of the place, the privacy it was providing, and the fact that I had the pool all to myself. The birds were flying over me as if joining me in this…
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Meganox and the Sugarcane Paradox
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I live in what is known as the Sugar Bowl of the Philippines – the province of Negros Occidental. I grew up in such a way that the sugar mill was my playground. I breathed the whiff of caramelized sugar during milling season. I was attuned to the noise the…
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Truly Negros Products at the Negros Trade Fair
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Living in the Philippine capital for 20 years, the closest thing I have come to apprising myself on the latest about home (home is Bacolod City in the province of Negros Occidental) that has tangible evidence of progress are the products I see at the Negros Trade Fair that is…
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Tree planting at Upper Caliban-Imbang Watershed; Adopt an Animal at NFEFI-BCC
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As progress and development continue in the Philippines, the onslaught on the natural environment has also been going on for years. The combination of climate change and man-made disasters have created a huge dent in our ecosystem. The country’s forest cover of 27 million hectares was reduced to 7.2 million…
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All-Filipino lunch at Chalet Restaurant
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It was a satisfying Independence Day celebration for me this year. It seemed that it was a day that granted meĀ freedom from hunger, to be specific. I might not be in nearby Iloilo City, a sea away from my hometown Bacolod, where the President of the Republic commemorated the event;…
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Things To Catch at Panaad at Night
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The Panaad Festival is the much-awaited event in the province of Negros Occidental. The Panaad Park and Stadium come alive whenever this festival is celebrated every April. The pavilions of theĀ 13 cities and 19 towns of the province display the best of their respective places, from food to crops…
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15 Reasons to Have More Fun in the Philippines
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWqkZZaxpfI] This is the Department of Tourism video of the Visit the Philippines Year 2015. Although the campaign was in 2015, every year is a reason to have more fun in my wonderful country, the Philippines. As a student of life where the world is my classroom, I always thirst…
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Intriguing Food #TTOT
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Every Tuesday, I usually enjoy the Travel Talk on Twitter (#TTOT) that is hosted by travel bloggers and travel enthusiasts. Members of the community post topics and questions at the Facebook page of #TTOT and when they are picked, they become the conversation starters on Twitter. Last week, while I…