Radio is Back

One of the many things that Typhoon Ondoy had taught the victims of flooding and prolonged power outages is the importance of the radio. During the onslaught of the typhoon, many people experienced the loss of the most popular source of news of information: television. Even the handy cellular phone became useless after the typhoon as many cell sites became un-operational due to power outages and flooding. Many of us became exasperated as we are cut-off from the outside world and our friends. The loss of TV and mobile phone highlighted our dependence on real time communication and information especially during calamities.

In contrast, radio is more stable and sometimes became the sole voice of information and news in communities ravaged by Ondoy. I remember how I wished to have bought a transistor radio before the Ondoy came. How I envy the lucky neighbors who have a radio blaring inside their homes, filling their moments with music and updates on the calamities wrought by the typhoon.

Having learned our lessons, we bought a radio and now we rediscovered the fun of listening to this small voice box. Every night, when my parents got tired of the usual dramas offered by the local TV networks, they turn on the radio and listen to music and get some laugh from local FM stations.

Also, as a preparation to future calamities, we made sure that the radio we bought can be operated by various energy sources. The best radio that we chose is the one that can be plugged, operates on battery, and have an internal re-chargeable battery. Now, even if the TV became blank during the assault of typhoons, we have the reliable radio to keep us informed and entertained during power outages.


Visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read my tips on “How to Build a Strong Social Network.”

Also visit Paradoxic Ley Line and read my thoughts on the rampant traffic in Metro Manila and how it burdens the Pinoy and Pinay workers who keeps the gears of the Philippine economy working.

Join me in Facebook, Twitter, and Friendster.

Sharing is caring. Please Digg this article.

Continue reading...

Picnic Grove, Tagaytay City

In one of my previous Explorer’s Notebook blog post, I talked about People’s Park in the Sky in Tagaytay City. Now, I will be writing about another tourist spot in the so-called Baguio of the south and this tourist spot is the Picnic Grove.

The first thought that entered my mind when I stepped inside Picnic Grove is “renovation.” The park is indeed in great need of a facelift and restoration just like the People’s Park. I have noticed that park’s administrative building (which is shaped like a “salakot” and smartly called as Salakot Building) is in woeful condition. The ceiling are falling off, patches of plastic sheets were placed to prevent leaks due to rain, the comfort rooms is filthy, and the inside of the building is dim. Visitors are welcomed by unpaved streets.

However, the park is still beautiful and is better than People’s Park. Picnic Grove offers different amenities and activities that will make the visitor’s stay enjoyable. Just like the People’s Park, Picnic Grove boast of the great view of the Taal Lake and Taal Volcano.

 

A nearer view of Taal Volcano

How to get There

There are many ways to go to Picnic Grove. One can ride a tricycle or a jeepney if you are commuting. Riding a jeepney is better since the fare is much cheaper than that of the tricycle. The only advantage of riding a tricycle is that they could be seen everywhere in Tagaytay City, unlike the jeepney that only have definite routes. The best place to ride a jeepney is on the Tagaytay City market because the jeepney terminal is located there.

From Olivares Center, in Tagaytay City, the only way to reach the market is by riding a tricycle. Keep in mind that the fare from Olivares Center to the market is just 10 pesos per person. Be warned that tricycle drivers will offer you unreasonable price if they found out that you are a tourist. So, be sure to ask the tricycle driver first and strike a good deal with them before riding.

To know how to get to Tagaytay City from Metro Manila, go to the blog post about the People’s Park.

Entrance and Parking Fees

The entrance fee for Tagaytay Picnic Grove is 50 pesos per person. The park also has parking space for the vehicles of their visitors. The fee cost 30 pesos for each car or van, 50 pesos for one jeepney, and 100 pesos for each bus.

Amenities and Activities

Aside from sightseeing and picnicking, you could do many things inside the Picnic Grove. You could go horseback riding with your family. The park also boasts of zipline facility.
When you entered the park, you will immediately be approached by many different people offering either horseback riding or a room that you could rent for the night. Horseback riding usually cost about 200 pesos per hour of riding on the horse, but some owner of horses lower their offer up to 150 pesos. I advise that you try to haggle with the horse owner so as to get a cheaper price when you decided on horseback riding.

Picnic Grove Visitor enjoying the zipline

The zipline is the most exciting facility in Picnic Grove. You could feel the cold Tagaytay wind rushing onto your face as you fly down the zipline. This can also be a test of courage because you will have to cross a wide chasm between two mountains with just your  security rope tied to the zipline.

You could also ride the cable car if you are too afraid of the zipline. The cable car is like a big birdcage, letting you see the beautiful Taal Lake and the green land below you. On ordinary days, the cable car and zipline cost 100 pesos and 200 pesos for one-way trip and two-way trip, respectively. During weekends and holidays, the one-way trip is 200 pesos and the two-way trip is 300 pesos

For family and barkada picnics, you could opt to set your picnic on the green grass of the park or rent a covered table. The price for each covered table ranges from 15 pesos to 20 pesos. People who do not intend to rent the picnic facilities can still use the facilities as long as they are just there to sit and don’t have any packed foods with you. The park’s personnel inspect each user of the picnic facilities and ask people with food to pay to the corresponding fee.

 There are also shops inside the park that sell foods and souvenir items.

Picnic Grove is better than the People’s Park. It has a wider space and a better and nearer view of the Taal Volcano. Plus, it has many things to offer like horseback riding and the zipline. The park is ideal for family picnics and little children will enjoy this place more.

I just wish that the city of Tagaytay will make this place better and fix the admin building and many things inside the park. Picnic Grove is good but there is more room for improvement.

Join me in Facebook, Twitter, and Friendster.

 

Sharing is caring. Please Digg this article.

Please visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read my review about the anime, “One Piece.”

Also read “Ako Mismo, Ano na Mismo?” in Paradoxic Ley Line. The blog post is about the now obscured Ako Mismo.

This is an Explorer’s Notebook article. Other blog posts under this category are:

People’s Park, Tagaytay City
The Walled City of Intramuros
Lucban, Quezon Trip
San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
Laiya Aplaya, Batangas

Continue reading...

InPhoto: Shrine for the Dead

I’m Free*

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free

I’m following the path of God laid for me.

I took His hand when I heard him call,

I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day,

To laugh, to love, to work or play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way,

I found that place at the close of the day.

If my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,

Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.

Be not be burdened with times of sorrow,

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life’s been full, I savored much,

Good friends, good times, a love one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all to brief,

Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your heart and share with me,

God wanted me now, He set me free.

*Poem hanged on the wall of a church built for the victims of the Guinsaugon Landslide tragedy.

The cross on the picture serves as the landmark for the hundreds people who perished due to the landslide at Guinsaugon.

This InPhoto blog post is for those who died because of the landslide in Guinsaugon, Southern Leyte. The media, the politicians, and the general public may forget them, but those who love them and those who went to Guinsaugon will never lose in their mind the sadness that the tragedy brought.

May the Lord grant them entry to His heavenly abode.

Join me in Facebook, Twitter, and Friendster.

Sharing is caring! Please Digg this article.

Visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read my new article, “Tips on Applying for a Passport.”

Also visit Paradoxic Ley Line and read my blog post, “Chiz Escudero’s Chizzy Surprise.

Continue reading...

Another Use for the Pink Fence

MMDA Pink Fences along EDSA, Cubao, Quezon City

Bayani Fernando implemented great and innovative ideas as the chairman of the MMDA. The famous of his many ideas is the MMDA pink fence.

In his stay as Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman, presidential aspirant Bayani Fernando built many pink fences throughout Metro Manila. There are pink fences on the sidewalks, on the streets, on the islands and in any place within the Metro imaginable. Aside from the usual use of fences, that is to serve as boundary between two areas, Bayani Fernando thought of many ways to use it. In Cubao and other areas, his pink fences serves as a tool to herd commuters and public buses like cattle. It also serves as a blockade to the pesky jaywalkers all throughout the Metro. The fences also serve as blockades during rallies. It was even used by MMDA as public bulletin boards where MMDA can notify the public of the latest concerts of their chairman.

I also have a novel idea for Bayani’s pink fences. My idea is to use the pink fences as a prison. The form of the pink fence prison can be likened to the pink fence below:

 

My proposed pink fence jail.

This will discipline the Filipino drivers. Instead of just issuing tickets, all the MMDA officers and traffic enforcers have to do is to lock – up each traffic violator for thirty minutes for each violation. Motorists, commuters, and pedestrians can be imprisoned inside the pink fence. If a jeepney driver unloads/loads passengers at “no loading/unloading” area then he can be imprisoned for thirty minutes inside the fence. Jaywalkers will also be imprisoned for thirty minutes inside the fence.

Imagine the inconvenience of the time lost for traffic violators and also the shame of being imprisoned publicly. This scheme will deter traffic violators and make traffic more bearable.

I know that this is still impossible to implement in the current settings. However, if Bayani became the president, I believe that this is possible since he will rule with an iron hand.

Hope that the MMDA peeps will read this post. :-)


Join me in Facebook, Twitter, and Friendster.

Visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read my review of Isabel Allende’s book, “The House of Spirits.”

Also visit me in Paradoxic Ley Line and read my thoughts about my sister’s professor in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in my article, “A Worthless Professor.”

Images taken using my LG KU 380 cellphone camera

Continue reading...

InPhoto: Prevent Those Little Accidents

One of MyPhone handlebar ads at the LRT 1 trains says:

“Helps prevent those little accidents.”

The words with smaller font add:

“MyPhone S72 Duo Slider keeps track of your menstrual cycle so you don’t have to.”

My question now is, “What do they mean by ‘little accidents’?”



Join me in Facebook, Twitter, and Friendster.

Caring is sharing. Please Digg this blog post.

Visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read “Tips on Where to Sit In a Public Bus.”

Also visit my political blog, Paradoxic Ley Line.

Continue reading...

Fixer Fixer Everywhere

Applying for a passport at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Pasay City is really some sort of experience. I still couldn’t believe a colony of fixers is literally lying in wait to all unwary passport applicants. Thankfully, my girlfriend warned me about fixers and she insisted that I must go directly inside DFA and ignore them.

I went to the DFA last Thursday to apply for a passport. I went down at the LRT Libertad Station and rode a DFA bound tricycle there. The moment I went down the tricycle, hordes of fixers surrounded me and tried to pull me to their stalls. The fixers offered application forms, passport holders, and rush ID picture service. Another fixer tried to trick me by pulling me to stall just beside the DFA entrance gate. He said that I should get a number slip first before I can enter the DFA. I did not believe him and went directly to the guard and asked him what I need to do to apply for a passport. The guard promptly gave me an application form for free and let me in.

The passport application inside the DFA is fast and organized. The only problem is the fixers outside DFA. One applicant was tricked into buying an application form for 100 pesos. The applicant became angry when he discovered that the application form is just given without any fee. He asked the guard to catch the fixer but the guard just said that they do not have the jurisdiction outside the DFA.

The guard is right. The Pasay City government is responsible for any activities outside of DFA. Many people had been tricked by these fixers since many of them are wearing fake DFA employee IDs. Even the tricycle drivers are working with the fixers because they point the applicants to the stalls and tell them that those are the right place to get the application form.

The Pasay City police should stop acting blind and capture all the fixers outside DFA. What are they doing? Or is it possible that they also receive kickbacks from those fixers. The mayor of Pasay City should stop being inutile and do something about it.

May this serve as a warning to all passport applicants out there. NEVER EVER BELIEVE ANYONE OUTSIDE THE DFA. Always think that no DFA employee transact official business outside of the DFA office. ALL TRANSACTIONS ARE DONE INSIDE THE DFA. Another thing is that facilities, like shops for the Passport Picture, are available inside DFA. It is better to avail these facilities inside the DFA so as to avoid the fixers outside of DFA.

Join me in Facebook, Twitter, and Friendster.

Sharing is caring. Please Digg this article.

Visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read about Giligan’s Restaurant and my verdict about their food, ambience, service, etc.

Also visit Paradoxic Ley Line and read about my thoughts Erap’s decision to run in the 2010 Elections in “Erap Again in 2010?”

Continue reading...

Of My Plans and the Future

“We are getting old.”

This is what smacked me during a small gathering with college friends last Saturday night. I just believe that it is already two years since I graduated from college and most of us are turning 24 next year. It is not a wholesome thought for since getting old is one of my greatest phobias. I just want to keep my youth as long as possible. I want to be 22 for the rest of my life. That is impossible, of course. We are not in Neverland and I am not Peter Pan.

So there we are, talking about the past and future. The male friends all decided to work abroad and they are betting on who will be the first to go to the other countries and live as an OFW. The female friends are still undecided and do not have concrete plans on whether to work here or abroad. Most of our friends from the college batch before us already work and live abroad. As of the moment, my male friends are still waiting to end their contracts and also for a good opportunity to come up. As for me, I am still stuck with a two year contract with the government.

“So what is my plan?”

They could have asked that question and give them my usual answer: “Just waiting to finish my two year contract and see what will come up.” That is my best and safe answer.

Actually, I do not have the answer. I am turning 24 next year and still do not have a grand plan like my college friends. Sometimes, I feel like I was drifting aimlessly, tempted to look for opportunities abroad, all the while wanting to stay home with family and loved ones. Being a drifter in the future, that is my real phobia, the reason of wanting to stay young, unchanged.

So far here is my plan: (1) To continue working in the government even if my two year contract ends, (2) Look for a good opportunity that will enable me stay here in the Philippines and be with my loved ones, (3) If that “good opportunity” proved to be quite profitable in the long-term, I will leave my day job and focus more on it, (4) If all else fail or if my situation get desperate, find a work abroad and be an OFW.

As of the moment, I am contented with my life. I am happy at work and in my home. I am happy with my relationships and with my friends. I am happy blogging and reading blogs of my online friends. I am still on the look-out for that “good opportunity” (actually, I am already working on one and I hope that it fare well).

Last Saturday’s small gathering make me to look deep to myself and compare my plans with my friends’ plan with the future. I believe that the Divinely inspired chain of events placed me in current position now and that same Divine Providence will take me into a good place in the future. The small gathering also make me look deep inside my soul and study the past and how it affected me and my friends, but that will be in another blog post.

Join me in Facebook, Twitter, and Friendster.

Caring is sharing! Please Digg this article.

Visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read my article: “How to Prevent Identity Theft When Surfing in an Internet Café.”

Visit Paradoxic Ley Line and read my blog article about the leptospirosis epidemic in the Philippines, in “Remove the Trash, Kill the Rats.”

Continue reading...

Shopping for an Internet Service Provider

My weeks of wait, my efforts of contacting the customer service, and the anxiety and hope all came to naught last Sunday as the technicians confirmed that my home is indeed beyond the reach of Smart Broadband’s signal. The mountains are blocking Smart’s tower and so signal can’t be obtained even if they raise the Canopy to thirty feet above the roof of my house.

Too bad for me since I am back to zero in my goal to install an internet connection in my home. I am back at looking for an alternative to Smart Bro. PLDT MyDSL is out of the choices since my area is banned by PLDT because many evildoers are stealing telephone wires (there is one time that our street experienced a blackout for a whole day because the thief stole the electric wires). So here I am again, researching and planning my next move.

So far, here are my other options:

Globe Broadband

This is the internet broadband counterpart of Globe Telecommunication. My problem with it is the high probability that our home is also beyond the reach of Globe’s signal. Last year, I used Globe in my cellphone but I am forced to shift to Smart because Globe’s signal is very weak if I am inside the house. The weak signal always forces me to go out of the house just to call or to receive a text message.

The good news is that the broadband’s signal is different from the signal used by 3G phones so it is also possible that we have a Globe Broadband signal in our area. I am planning of applying to Globe since Ms. Noemi gave Globe a high rating in her review of the different ISPs in the country.

Sun Broadband

Sun Broadband offers more affordable plans than Smart and Globe. However, I am thinking that Sun Cellular has limited coverage in Montalban, Rizal. I bought a Sun Cellular Sim months ago to avail their Sun to Sun unlimited call, but the signal is choppy and I am forced to walk a block away from home just to get a clear signal. With this, I believe that my area is also beyond the reach of Sun Cellular’s broadband internet.

Smart Plan 799

This is another offering of Smart Telecom, which uses a USB dongle as a modem. The dongle has a SIM inside. Plan 799 allows the subscriber to surf the World Wide Web for a maximum of 80 hours per month. My brother already has this dongle and it works well inside the house. The Smart Bro technician mentioned that the dongle uses the signal used by 3G phones to connect to the internet.

I plan to experiment on this dongle and have it installed outside of the house and connected to the computer by a long wire. If all goes well, then I am thinking of applying for Smart’s plan 799.

Satellite Internet

This is my last option and I will only choose this if I am desperate enough. This option of is the most expensive of the four. I am yet to research on this, but I already seen that Dream TV is offering this kind of internet connection. My brother also mentioned of Green Cell, which costs about 3,500 pesos a month with a really reliable internet connection. However, many people in the forum insist against satellite internet because it is not ideal in the Philippines. Satellite signals are affected by weather disturbances like typhoons and heavy rains. The Philippines are frequented by typhoons, thus the monthly cost will not reciprocate with the benefits that I will receive.

I am sad that Smart Bro did not work in my area, especially now that I really want to have an internet connection in my own house. Renting PC in an internet café is already proving to be costly for a blogger like me. The set-up also restricts activities in the net and is risky because of the virus that is present in most internet café. I do hope that one of my options here give me the internet connection that I need. As for now, I will pester Smart’s customer service representatives and ask for a refund of my payment for their botched up Plan 999.


Join me in Facebook, Twitter, and Friendster!

Sharing is caring! Please Digg this article.

Visit Ahab Reviews & Tips and read my review of Sitti’s music album, “Sitti Contagious.”

Visit Paradoxic Ley Line and read my blog post, “Lessons Learned from Ondoy.”

Continue reading...

People's Park, Tagaytay City

Tagaytay City is one of the famous vacation get-away of people living in Metro Manila. It is the closest alternative to Baguio City and offers a refreshing atmosphere and cold temperature that is good for people looking for refuge from the heat of Metro Manila.

Tagaytay City is located at the highest location of the province of Cavite. Full urbanization of the area is still underway, which makes it a good place because the City is not yet suffering from the polluted atmosphere that is prevalent in Metro Manila.

Famous tourist spots in Tagaytay City include the Picnic Grove and the People’s Park. I only went to People’s Park during my visit to the city.

How to Get There

There are many ways to reach Tagaytay City from Metro Manila. There are public buses that have direct route to Tagaytay City. Buses going to Tagaytay City could be found in the terminal station in Lawton Area in Manila City. There are also buses going to Tagaytay at Pasay.

As for me, I took the longer route. I boarded the Jam Bus going to Balibago, Santa Rosa in the province of Laguna. The Jam Bus Transit is located along EDSA just few meters away from GMA Network Building. The fare cost to Balibago is 67 pesos and the travel time is about two and a half hours. The travel took a long time because of the traffic situation in South Luzon Expressway.

Go down the Balibago Market and walk to the jeepney terminal located at the back of the market, then board the jeepney bound to Tagaytay City. The fare cost to Tagaytay City is 45 pesos and the travel time is about 45 minutes.

The terminal point of the Tagaytay City jeep is the Tagaytay Market. Jeepneys going to the Picnic Grove and the People’s Park could easily be found there.

People’s Park in the Sky

 The People’s Park is the highest place in Tagaytay City. In sunny weather, you will be able to see the three great bodies of water, which are the Manila Bay, Laguna Lake, and the Taal Lake. It is also a good vantage point of viewing Tagaytay City and neighboring towns, which offers a refreshing view of greenery of the whole place.

The gate to the park. Pay 15 pesos or else.....

The entrance fee to the park is fifteen (15) pesos per person. Many visitors enter the park to get a good view of the city. The place also serves as a fun place for families and it also serve as picnic area for the people living in Tagaytay and neighboring towns. 

 

People going up the park for relaxation

The inside of the park is not that first-class. Actually, the park is need of a major repair. Ceilings are falling off and some parts should be re-modeled so as to become more appealing to tourists. People’s Park has souvenir shops and a restaurant. However, local visitors tend to bring their food because the price of food in People’s Park is quite expensive. During my visit, I noticed that a simple Tapsilog (a Philippine dish of fried meat, fried rice and fried egg) cost about eighty-five pesos. That price is astronomical for a tapsilog.

Shops in the park have an array of souvenir items for everyone

What I like about the park is its shops that offer various souvenir items ranging from handmade bags, toys made of wood, key chains and other items. We bought a nice handcrafted bag made of water lily at a cost of one hundred fifty (150) pesos after a long negotiation with the shop owner (It is a Filipino habit of negotiating prices with shop owner or the sales clerk. It is called in the local language as “tawad” or “tumatawad.” It seems that my girlfriend is excellent in making “tawad.” What a nice talent).

Live roosters for sale! Err...these are toys.

People’s Park is quite high up in the mountains and no malls are near it. However, this a good place for picture taking, relaxation, and “catching-up of things” with friends, family, and love ones.

Here are more pictures of my People’s Park trip:

 

Ishmael went up the hill...

View of Taal Lake. Taal Volcano is at the right part of the photo.

A view of greens of Tagaytay City.

Its windy up there!

Garden in the sky. Taal Volcano is at the background.

 

Pineapple in the sky.

The highest point is located at the place where the image of Jesus is, as seen in this photo.

Explorer’s Notebook outlines my travels and my adventures around the gem islands of the Philippines. It aims to guide would be explorers on the various Philippines sites, either historic, or wonderful tourist spots or even mundane places.

See my other explorations in Laiya, Batangas; San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Lucban, Quezon; and Intramuros.

Follow me in Facebook, Friendster, and Twitter.

Sharing is caring! Please Digg this article.

Visit my new blog Ahab Reviews and Tips and read my review of my LG’s cellular phone LG KU 380.

Read my new articles in Paradoxic Ley Line entitled “A ‘NO’ Vote for Noynoy Aquino” and “Coordinating the National Disaster Coordinating Council.”

Pictures posted herein were taken using my LG KU 380.

Continue reading...

Losing a Friend Just for 2,120 Pesos

It is sad to know that one of my friends decided to break our bond just at the amount of 2,120 pesos.

Last month, a friend of mine texted me if I could lend her some cash so as to complete her money to buy a laptop. She asked for 2,000 pesos and promised to return it after three weeks. I sent her the money thru LBC and told her that she have to shoulder the 120 pesos fee. She agreed.

However, three weeks came and went but she’s still not paid with her debt. I texted her and e-mailed her in Facebook. Her cellphone number suddenly became unavailable and she is ignoring me in Facebook, even though she updates her account every single day. It is plain that she is avoiding me.

I texted her that I will move her payment if she still doesn’t have the money and I also told her that I do not want to lose my trust on her for a mere 2,120 pesos. My last communication to her fell on deaf ears.

What is 2,120 pesos for a good friendship? I am willing to write off her debt if she just say so, but this wall of silence that she placed between us gives me a signal that we are not friends anymore.

Join me in Facebook, Twitter and Friendster.

Visit Paradoxic Ley Line and read my take on the Typhoon Ondoy in my blog post: “Montalban Under State of Calamity.”

Continue reading...