The Rivalry Goes Pffft!

Ateneo drew first blood when they beat the De La Salle Lady Spikers for the first time two weeks ago. That was the first time DLSU received a wake-up call. Their otherwise perfect record was blemished when they lost to their rival school.

The second game was different. they DLSU team were out to get even. They made sure they wouldn't lose to Ateneo Lady eagles even if they resort to their shenanigans to win it. They beat out Ateneo on a four set game with Ateneo being stubborn enough to fight for every point. At least Ateneo won one set... one!

The Ateneo girls proved they were classy though... They didn't have to do any name calling or swearing on the court. There were no stare-downs from any of their players if they got a point. They were happy to have accomplished a good run so far reaching the championship round for the very first time in 15 years.

 The arena in San Juan was filled to the rafters today, Wednesday, 29 February, 2012. DLSU and Ateneo will revive their school rivalry after all. If DLSU wins, they become the UAAP champions. Should Ateneo win, then another game will be set. As early as ten a.m. fans and groupies started filling in the seats of the arena. The game was set at two p.m. but the students, alumni and fans have gathered together to show support for their teams.

Ateneo started out strong in their defense and their attacks only to crumble when the DLSU girls were dead-set on defending their championship. It later became a question of who wanted to win the championship more... Despite the odds, Ateneo's players tried to fight a losing battle. Little by little they lost steam and perhaps the will to battle it out another day. Coach Roger Gorayeb kept egging the girls to do their darnedest best to keep testing DLSU's mettle. But DLSU dictated the game from the get go. They were just too pumped to get their championship back.

It didn't help that the Ateneo squad was comprised of pretty lady athletes... all of them girlie- girls in their pony tails. These girls are just too nice...and NICE doesn't win championships! In the world of volleyball, you gotta draw out the big guns, the fast plays, the strong spikes and the power tips. Much as they wanted to win another match and stay and fight another day, DLSU's female wrestlers/amazons wanted the trophy now! In three straight sets the rivalry just fizzled out.

Incidental Traffic Victim

You're right. I've been missing in action for about a week. Ever since I got back from the Banaue Rice Terraces, I've been experiencing writer's block aside from the fact that I've been busy and I really haven't had much time for anything else.

I was also in sudden tour assignments. Sudden, I say, because these two tours were spur of the moment and were not the usual tours that were channeled through the Mabuhay Guides coordinator. I can't complain... I was considered for the tours.

Rajah Travel called me for guiding duties for three American ladies who were in town. They are executives from a BPO based in Mandaluyong and they were in town recently as part of their assignment. The ladies came from Los Angeles, Michigan and Illinois and our tour covered the walled city of Intramuros. These ladies were so much fun to show around however, since the tour was on a Friday afternoon in 40 degree heat, I wasn't surprised  that they were about to give up in the middle of the site-seeing of the Rizal Shrine.

*photo courtesy of VisitPinas.com

Today, as I was getting ready to go to the gym, I got a call from Ms Goya who gave me a number to call. I spoke to a certain Ms Kat and instantly I was saying yes to a tour of Intramuros at 9:30 in the morning. I had to text her back because I had remembered that today was the big rally of Iglesia ni Cristo at the Quirino Grandstand. I was grateful for the tour but was constantly praying I got to Intramuros on time. I did! Yeeeyyy!

* photo from etravelpilipinas.com

My guest turned out to be a young lovely lady from Toronto who was in Manila. I instantly struck a great rapport with her since we had similarly lived in Toronto. It was fun showing her around Intramuros but they had to be in Alabang by half past noon. So as I bid them goodbye, I gave them my business cards. What's timely was that there was a Mass at San Agustin Church at 12:15 ( which I attended, of course).

*photo from kristinemaedominiquecopeng.blogspot

I was famished so I had lunch at Ristorante del mitre to sate my hunger. Glad I did! I had a plate of Salpicao with mushroom and a soda with it aside from the iced tea that came with the meal. This unpretentious restaurant is gradually being discovered... as well it should be... I always recommend it to my guests who want to eat after a long tour. It's reasonable and the food is great.

*photo from inquirer news

I made my way to Taft Avenue on foot. There was no way I could get home if I took a cab. At the foot of Jones Bridge I clambered onto a jeepney. I was so terribly wrong!!! At 8:30 a.m. the build up was beginning and I got through it... by afternoon... only a single lane was open on Taft Avenue... Two lanes had been used as parking space for hired buses and jeepneys. I had regretted my decision and wished I had taken the LRT instead. I actually reached home at half past three. That's how my day went...

SCM Dines with the Mabuhay Guides

SCM stands for Susan Calo-Medina. The Mabuhay Guides is her pet project. It was at a time when the Secretary for Tourism Ace Durano saw the need to upgrade the tour guides to hike his targets for the previous administration. She is also the, and I quote Secretary Ramon Jimenez, singular face of Philippine tourism for whom a volcano should be named after.

Every so often when SCM has news to tell us or when we have some catching up to do, we meet at CIBO in Rockwell  for dinner or merienda cena. I was in Banaue on official business while some members were not free to meet for Saturday, so the meeting had to be rescheduled to Sunday, 19 February, 2012. I picked up Yael Fernandez and we were scooting off to the Powerplant Mall. We met Ms Goya at Cibo and then who should pop out of CIBO but actor Jericho Rosales with a date. Ms. Goya nearly fell off her seat.  =)

SCM arrived with Mr Edu Jarque, then under-secretary for tourism prior to the Aquino administration. We started catching up on what we were doing and on how things had developed in our recent proposals to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. No news on what we sent NCCA. So we have to be more creative with our marketing strats.

The great news is that Secretary Jimenez just heard of the Mabuhay Guides and he's actually asking SCM for a guided tour of Intramuros with the Mabuhay Guides, no less. There's a need for the MGs to do the National Museum tours as well. We'll have to undergo training for that. But that's added income for all of us. Actually not all of the active MGs were there at the dinner. In attendance were Yael, Dustin, Jeff and myself. Everyone else was in absentia.

Needless to say, we had lots of great food by Gaita Fores' restaurant. And of course, lots of talk! Mr. Jarque was pitching his sales of strawberry jam from BSU. Ms Goya was constantly haggling for it. In my haste to get to Yael's house I left my pasalubong to her of Terraces Brew, my christmas present for her and her grandchild. Oh well, I promised to bring them next time we meet. I'll have to keep a mental note of that!

FIVE DAYS IN THE CORDILLERAS

• I was assigned the tour by Ms. Goya (Mabuhay Guides coordinator) the week before the tour but had to wait for further notice from the tour operator for confirmation. I was expecting a three-day tour composed of airport transfer, whole day city tour and another full day of Tagaytay trekking. I  was assigned to guide the guests the day before departure for Baguio. I received confirmation in the morning and received tour itinerary after lunch.

DAY 1:

• I was at the appointed hotel at 07:30 a.m. and met with Intas representatives Ms Racquel and Ms. Aisa.
• We waited for the guests as they were having breakfast at the restaurant. Eventually, the vehicle service arrived and I had initial coordination with the assigned driver.
• We departed at 09:15 a.m. on board Grandia van with license plate PIM 617 taking the Roxas blvd. – P. Burgos route towards Bonifacio/NLEX.
• The drive was full of interaction between myself and guests as they had been interested in the information that I was imparting. Multiple questions punctuated the commentaries. Apparently, they were mystified by the traffic situation, the lifestyle of the masses, the celebration of Valentine’s Day in the Philippines (as we passed by Dangwa)
• As we reached,  NLEX, we were in animated discussion of the road network, infrastructure, Gasoline prices, and urban development in the country. Our first stop was at the Petron Gas Station. We had to do a detour as the driver missed the San Fernando exit to Bacolor.
• They were fascinated by the destruction brought about by the Pinatubo eruption and took in the sites of the existing Bacolor church and its new museum showcasing  the church’s magnificence prior to the eruption of the dormant volcano.
  
  
• We then proceeded towards the SCTEX road network. We eventually talked about land reform, property ownership, the friar estates and taxation as we passed by part of Hacienda Luisita.
• I continued to answer questions on varied points of interests that they saw along the way in Tarlac and Pangasinan. We made it to Kennon Road around half past one and continued on to the ascent to Baguio stopping by the Lion’s Head and the viewpoint until we reached Baguio.
• We took them on a city tour of Baguio stopping first on Wright Park, the Mansion and then we stayed a few minutes longer in Mines View Park, then we went towards the Panagbenga Gardens, Teacher’s Camp, the Botanical Garden and Burnham Park.
• We finally checked in at Burnham Suites. They were fascinated with the Valentine’s Day phenomena in the Philippines. They couldn’t stand the show at the hotel and they had children with them so they decided to dine in their rooms.

DAY 2:

• They decided to leave at nine in the morning as agreed upon the night before. I brought them to the strawberry farm in La Trinidad Valley where they purchased freshly-picked strawberry and carrots.
• As we climb up the mountains, the trip proved interesting as they were regaled with magnificent vistas along the way. Eventually, we have had to stop intermittently as they young guests were not used to lengthy vehicle rides. Poor kids were getting car sick. It was not only necessary to stop… it was essential! I didn’t want them getting sick along the way.
• The roads were surprisingly well paved but the zig-zagging and hairpin curves proved to much for the party. The six hour drive would have been horrendous but the guests took it all in without much complaint. Apparently there are no mountain ranges in Denmark and the experience was new to them. The longest they could drive from one end of Denmark to another was a total of eight hours which they have never done.
• Lunch break was at Mt. Data Hotel enroute to Sagada.
• It was nearly four p.m. by the time we reached Sagada and it rained all afternoon along the way. The guests were beginning to be concerned over some spots with landslides. I allayed their fears by cracking jokes, assuring them they were safe and by insisting we stop at selected sites where there were nice views.

• The mix-up re. lodging were ironed out and the guests settled in their cottages. I could have paid with the contingency funds but I stuck to what was pre-aranged. It was nearly nightfall and still raining hard. I decided to do the tours of Sagada the next day. It was already cold, dark and the guests were tired.
• I made my way to Masferre for the dinner arrangements. It was a good thing I did. Apparently there was a group that made reservations for buffet dinner. Another group was in a convention at the basement. I came up with plated orders for the guests and brought back the list for them to supposedly pre-order. So I called the restaurant back for them to prepare the dishes at 7 p.m.  They enjoyed the meal and they looked at the photos on the walls. They decided to have coffee after dinner at the Café St. Jo before they settled in for the night.

DAY 3:

• Breakfast was at the St. Joseph Inn which they relished. We checked out of the Inn and proceeded to do the aborted tour the day before. We brought them to the Hanging Coffins, the Burial Cave, then the Sumaguing Cave, they decided to have coffee at this new shop Gaia along the way. Then we proceeded to Echo Valley where the kids had a blast listening to the echos of their voices. They also met other tourists while in the valley.
• We made the trip to Bontoc where I assured them it was a shorter drive. We went on the usual car stops for the sake of the kids who were still not used to long drives. It was lunch time by the time we got to Bontoc. We parked at the Bontoc Museum (closed for lunch) and then led them to Pines Kitchenette for lunch. While waiting for the food I accompanied them to the tiangge that was in place for the Baranggay feast day.
• After lunch was a tour of Bontoc Museum where the guests pored over the collection of photos of Masferre and artifacts of their proud ancestors. We then continued onto Banaue. Torrential rains again poured as we reached Banaue. I checked them in and they  settled in their rooms.
• Who should we bump into but Mabuhay Guide Bryan Ocampo with his tour group on the way to Sagada. They had been to Batad and were enroute to where we left
• The rains prevented us from going to Tam-an. There was just too much rain for the last three days in the Cordilleras. That would have to be done the next day after the Banga-an trek.
• I was just thankful that dinner at the Banaue Hotel was a pleasant one for the tour party. We decided to go to Banga-an at nine a.m. the next day. Arrangements were made by myself to hire the local guide and the jeepney.
• They were all looking forward to this trip after seeing panoramic vistas in the viewpoints in the highest point, Ba-yo point, and the other stops we made.

DAY 4:

• I confirmed the arrangements I made the night before at the front desk. I even borrowed umbrellas for the eventuality of rain.
• I brought my umbrella as well for the welfare of the kids.
• I also advised guests to get ready for the trek and for the weather changes. I brought my all-weather jacket just in case the raingear was not enough.
• The viewpoint stops were enjoyable for the guests. They never stopped taking photos
• The stop at Guihob pool was aborted on the advise of the driver. Apparently, some portions were damaged by the storm Sendong. Ergo, it was not safe.
• At the village the eldest person in the party was gushing over the beauty of the terraces when he got the shock of his life when the woman (terrace owner) he was talking to said she was bored by it and she wanted to get out of there.
• It was like he was doused with cold water in the face. I just had to assure him by saying that for them; “being born and raised there and waking up to the terraces each day was an ordinary thing. Of course, she was bored… like you, she wants to see the world!”
• He said, “ yeah, you’re right! I see your point…”
• He enjoyed exchanging pleasantries with the other homeowner. It started to rain after they had experienced going up to the traditional Ifugao home. The party took shelter in the courtyard of another family. The rain never eased so the umbrellas were a great idea as all of us went up the trail again.
• It was half past one when we got back to the hotel where we had lunch.
• The Tam-an village visit was aborted. The trail was slippery. The rains had not abated. On a morning jog, one of the party had bought a bottle of Tanduay rum.
• After dinner, the party was treated to an unusual experience of a suite of  traditional Cordillera songs and dances as performed by the villagers of Tam-an. This was a special performance for the benefit of all the hotel guests.
• Prior to the performance, I coordinated with guests to depart at 7 a.m. the next day to make leeway for our stops for the kids.

DAY 5:

• Breakfast for guests was at 6-6:30 a.m.
• Departure was at 7:00 a.m.
• The guests were pleased that the hotel had prepared packed breakfast sandwiches for the kids.
• The drive was less harrowing and flatter. Nonetheless we had those stops for the kids anyway.
• The traffic was tied up in some sections along Nueva Vizcaya for the road widening projects.
• As we stopped for petrol in Solano, they were surprised that the security guard had approached out of curiosity carrying an armalite. I explained that it was a safety measure for the establishment. In their country, they say, possessing a blade more than seven inches is a deadly weapon and is prohibited.
• The driver took the road less traveled so it was for them, a new experience. We had to let them know that they had to wait a while for a McDonald’s joint to visit. We stopped at a gasoline station where I suggested they get some snacks for the kids.
• The kids were getting hungry and requested for burgers and fries. We finally found a McDonald’s outlet at NLEX Petron Station in Bulacan. It was nearly three p.m.
• Even here, it had started to rain.
• From there we proceeded to Diamond Hotel for the drop-off.
• They thanked me and the driver profusely. They were looking forward to another trip to Palawan which they had booked online.

OBSERVATIONS:

• The kids were surprisingly patient with the long drives even if they were getting car-sick.
• The children were never rowdy and never exhibited irate behavior.
• The adults were genuinely interested in the tidbits of information that I was dishing out.
• They were also obviously of a high level of sophistication; asking about nice places to dine in and good tasting local alcoholic beverages and wines.
• Tired from sitting in the car, the adults needed to stretch their legs.
• Not all the bookings were honored by the establishments. I had to re-coordinate with the tour operator, or had to be creative.
• No matter how much improved the roads were, images of the land slides along the way were a concern for guests because they had children with them.
• It was not difficult to convince the guests their 20 hour flight and 26 hour drive (in total) was all worth the experience.
• The itinerary was efficiently flexible as it provided for changes along the way.

MacArthur's Former Crib2

Okay, so I took awhile to do this article... I've been busy... what can I say?

For February, we all know how Filipinos go crazy about celebrating Valentine's Day. Manila Hotel, currently on it's 100th year in operations can't be left behind as far as V-day promotions are concerned. Englebert Humperdinck, that 70'2 crooner who used to make your mothers swoon with his croon will be having a show in the Manila Hotel Ballroom to accompany a set dinner.

For the younger set, the hotel is staging the Fuerza Bruta ( Brute Force) at the Manila Hotel Tent. The Spanish production does a sort of suspended animation performance as they dance and glide above the heads of its audience. They actually even have a clear pool suspended overhead to do some sychronized swim and dance moves. I was there while the company was rigging for their upcoming performance.  Most of them are Spaniards and they will be rocking Manila Hotel after each performance at the same venue as there are parties till the wee hours.

After the inspection was done, the Shell execs were out the door with me to do a rolling tour of  Rizal Park and Intramuros. It was a slow drive and we took short stops along Quirino Grandstand, Army-Navy Club, Museo Pambata, Rizal Monument, Cory/Ninoy Monument, Simon de Anda Circle, Aduana Gap, Fort Santiago, Plaza Roma, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin, General Luna Gap, Puerta Real and then we went through to TM Kalaw where I showed them the rest of Rizal Park, The National Library, The National Archives, Luneta Hotel and then we retraced our route back to Manila Hotel. After which, the Shell execs decided to walk around to catch the setting sun in Manila Bay.

I went back to Cafe Ylang Ylang with our coordinator to further discuss their plans for this huge event happening next year... Here's wishing them the best of luck!

MacArthur's Former Crib

Today I was quite surprised to find that I had a tour for Shell Philippines. The tour was originally scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, 09 February 2012. After working up a good sweat, I got this call from the contact person who told me she expects to see me this particular afternoon and make sure that they  get sold on Manila as a proper venue for an event that would involve at least 2,500 kids.

Wow!

I had to rush to get to Manila Hotel. They were having a caucus at the Cafe Ylang-ylang. and I had to wait a while for them to finish. While waiting I met two young ladies from the Sales department of the hotel. Camille and Reena are both sales agents; the former a tourism graduate from UP, the latter a Filipina student from Singapore who's recently moved back to Manila with her entire family.

Their caucus over, the touring party and myself went around the hotel doing ocular inspection of the hotel's venues and the grand Mac Arthur suite. Naturally, I had the urge to whip out my cellphone so I could take shots at the suite. After all, I would never be able to afford to stay there even for a night. Oooh... too expensive and we all know a tour guide's fees won't cover it...

Id like to talk about my rolling tour on this blog entry but seeing the Suite was just a bonus I couldn't pass up on. Anyway, the Mac Arthur suite was where Douglas Mac Arthur stayed and called home for six years. Since then the complex of  interconnecting rooms have undergone some changes. But credit goes to the management of the hotel for staying true to the rooms' integrity.

In the living room, most of the furniture have been changed. Gen. Mac Arthur's portrait done by Fernando Amorsolo still hangs prominently on the wall. In the formal dining area the general's medals, albeit replica's hang on a glass showcase. The foyer had reproductions of the great general in conversation with President Manuel L. Quezon and an old blow-up of Manila Hotel sans the modern wing and American flags flying proudly forth from two of the hotel's gables.

While on the study are three of the original chairs and... the corn cob pipe shown on the picture above. What's really amusing was that some of my guests took turns with their photo ops sitting on the desk and posing with the corn cob pipe.

I'll talk about the tour tomorrow if I can...

Paseo de Sta. Rosa - Past and Present

Around 38 km southeast of Manila is a bustling chill-out area that's gaining ground amongst families and youngsters alike. Paseo de Sta. Rosa is a relatively medium sized mall with a lot to offer in terms of food and fashion.

I was there on a whim last Sunday. I got invited for a joy-ride by some friends and we had this great idea to head for the burbs. Sta. Rosa, it was! Cruising the highway (SLEX), make a beeline for the Sta. Rosa exit and then just follow the road  past the Coke and Honda plants. You can't miss this spot as there are brilliant signages visible from the road.

We parked dutifully right in front of the Crocs outlet store. There are, incidentally, a lot of outlets that sell at considerably less than the specialty stores they have in Manila's malls. The imported brands are well represented., selling as much as 50-70% discount on their products.

I just spent most of my afternoon canvassing prices on shoes, bags, clothes, and junk food. Nike Park, Levi's, Crocs, Debenham's, Marks and Spencer, Timberland, and Payless have outlets here that sell original items that are not necessarily out of style in the main malls. And as far as dining is concerned, you name any kind of cuisine you're likely to find one there. Of course, Jollibee and the likes of Shakey's and KFC can't be far behind either. but some restaurants can actually surprise you.

If you have enough time, go visit the Solenade area. The property was developed by the Ayala group. Ergo, it made sure the development had little impact on the environment, if any. The area is popular as a hang-out for yuppies and students who want to relax and have a cup of cofee at the end of a long hard day. Incidentally, Sta. Rosa can now brag about having a couple of BPO's based in their neck of the woods.

Somehow the feel of the place has retained its provincial charm while trying to catch up to its neighboring communities like Alabang and Taguig. It's really a far cry from what it used to be in the Spanish times when this area was a Dominican estate that had families of indios laboring as farmers for the friars. Actually, up until the 1960's this was a hotbed of landowner-farmer disputes until the government decided to sell the farm lots to locals who wanted their own land. And as you guessed, the city was dedicated to Sta. Rosa de Lima in 1792. The economy was largely dependent on agriculture. In my childhood, the national flower, Sampaguita was so abundant in the area it became the main source f these fragrant garlands that were sold in the streets in Manila. Eventually, industrialization set in. There are now five malls in the area and factories of consumer products and BPOs provide employment for its residents.

For the Love of Dance

The month of February is usually earmarked for the the Arts. The Cultural Center of the Philippines has its Pasinaya which is a celebration that hopes to promote performances of all of its resident companies by showing "teasers" all-through-out the CCP's venues for an entire weekend. Short performances are scheduled for free for public viewing.

Incidentally, Ballet Philippines will be featuring a world-premiere of Pusong Wagas, Alden Lugnasin's dance drama on the myth surrounding the establishment of Mandaluyong City. Libretto is by Palanca Hall of Famer Atty. Nicholas Pichay.  Playdates are February 17-19 at the CCP Little Theater. This is BP's season-ender which eventually will have a move-over performance in the City of Mandaluyong itself. 

Meanwhile, a series of folk dance performances entitled Filipiniana Sunsets is open to the public at the ASEAN Park right beside the headquarters of the Philippine Navy. The shows are slated at six p.m. every Wednesday for the entire month of February. Each week will feature a different cultural dance troupe from different colleges and universities and/or community based folkloric groups. The following are the slated performances:  UPLB Filipiniana Dance Troupe on February 1 followed by the Marikina Dance Guild on February 8, Sining Bulakenyo on February 15, Kaloob Philippine Music and Dance Ministry on February 22 and the Umalahukan Diliman Theater and Dance Company on February 29.

On my part, I'm again designing the CCP Dance School Summer Dance Workshop for 2012. In tribute to friend and dance mentor, Noordin Jumalon, the recital will be a re-staging of A Garden Tale. The story ballet relates how a young boy and girl find the bliss of romance amidst a garden setting. I've started the process of designing and today went sourcing for materials for the costumes. This should be fun!