Travel in the Philippines - Mindanao Region

Mindanao compared to Luzon and Visayas gets less tourists because of its distance and the constant news of insurgency and kidnappings. Too bad this has become the image of this wonderful region and it is a pity that even us Filipinos would think twice about visiting and enjoying the rich and colorful culture of our brothers and sisters in Mindanao.

Personally, I only had the chance to visit only 4 provinces in this region and have yet to go to my wife's hometown in Zamboanga City. Nevertheless, i enjoyed my stay and would always think of going back. I love the places i visited just like the way i felt when i went to Visayas provinces. As always, food here tastes great, fruits are fresh and cheap and you would actually miss the pollution in Metro Manila. Here are the places I recommend:

1. Cagayan de Oro - they say that CDO is the gateway to Mindanao. This city is relatively small, compared to cities in Cebu but is actually well developed, good zoning, clean and less traffic. Whitewater rafting is famous in this city because of its proximity to the river. Lanzones is so sweet in this place because people say the fruits came from Camiguin. From this city, you can ride a bus going to Bukidnon, Iligan City or as far as Davao City. Seafoods are fresh and cheap here.

2. Iligan City - One of the famous cities in Mindanao. This is where you go if you want to see the majestic Maria Cristina falls but you have to call or inform the tourism office for schedules. I heard that Napocor actually diverts the water from the falls to generate electricity for the province. Best tasting chicken in pandan leaves i had! Rice also is presented or cooked (i think) in pandan leaves.

3. Bukidnon - This place rivals the temperature, scenery, fresh fruits and fresh air of Luzon's Mountain Province. Its cold even on the highways that if you travel by car and you put down your windows, chances are the air outside is colder that your airconditioner. We all know that Del Monte and Dole pineapple farms are in this province so you would expect to get the sweetest and most fresh at the local markets. If you love waterfalls, this is the place. Retirement? I definitely suggest this place.

4. Davao - Davao is home to the country's largest city, Davao City. This city is the most disciplined-- no smoking in public places, no smoke belchers, no traffic, no fireworks during New Year's Eve and taxicabs giving change even for the last peso. Davao is also famous for the Durian fruit, Marang, Suha, Rambutan, Lanzones and Mangosteen. Eat all you can restaurants are almost everywhere so i guess you will enjoy all the seafoods you want in this city--price is also cheap! Davao is not complete without mentioning Samal Island. From within the city, take a cab (travel is about 10-15min) to the port, ride a small boat for another 15-20min and then you will arrive at this small island. The beach is majestically clean, one can swim beside small fishes and the food is awesome! Water pollution is nowhere in sight even when you see the city limits at the other side of the beach. Davao is also home for the Philippine Eagle Foundation, try to drop by and see the biggest eagle in the world. You will definitely be proud of being a Filipino.

5. Butuan City - i heard this is another must see because of their resorts, food and great tourist spots.

6. Surigao - Siargao Island - the surfing capital of the Philippines.

7. Zamboanga City - Have you heard of the pink beach? If you ever get tired of Boracay, Palawan and Bohol's white sand, mind going to Zamboanga for pink sand? Pink actually comes from the unique corals only found in this province. How about curacha? Have you tasted it? Its a marine animal, just like the crab but has twice the fats (aligue), easier to open (its shell) and definitely has more meat. Yummmm.

I have more to share but will go to specifics to the other places i have not mentioned. Truly, travel in the Philippines is one of the best experiences i had which is why i encourage people to travel while they are young, have a little savings and experience our country's culture and tradition other than hanging out to your favorite malls and coffeeshops.

Banchetto at Ortigas Center

For the past 3 weeks my wife and I have been to Banchetto at Emerald Avenue in Ortigas, Pasig City to observe a business opportunity. The place was introduced to me by my sister who has 2 outlets for more than six months already. Banchetto actually means feast and this place is participated by more than 50 food concessionaires who cater to call center employees at the Ortigas area.

If you are wondering why some of you have not heard of this before (if you have a regular 9-5 job) its because this "feast" actually starts at 12 midnight Friday and ends 12 noon Saturday. A portion of Emerald Avenue is closed to traffic to give way to maybe a hundred tents for food stalls and a dining area. What makes it click and unique? Majority of the clients' orders are cooked right in front of them. You can just imagine about 15-20 grillers cooking barbeque, porkchop, liempo, stuffed squid, burger patties and anything you would like to be grilled all at the same time. You can also find a number of shawarma outlets, rice in a box, mongolian rice meal bowls, tempura, sushi and of course several pasta dishes. Looking for desserts? Crepes, cakes, brownies, cakes and even native desserts are also available.

The atmosphere is in itself a feast. From 12 midnight to 5 am, call center employees troop down from their offices and eat their favorite dishes. Some stay and chat with their friends while some just order take-out. Food concessionaires are mostly satisfied since sales for a day (or night in their case) are good because of the client population.

Hopefully my wife and I can save up for a capital and join this business opportunity. We just need to be patient, resourceful and of course hard work because we need to be there instead of just resting at home after a week's hard work.

Looking forward this 2009

It has been quite a while since i posted a blog, i have been busy with the office and our business since january 5. I regularly check this site and log in at blogcatalog and mybloglog to build my network but this will be my first post for this year.

Our office is busy with our clients lately, catching up for the long vacation last weekend and getting new clients to start the year right. We are also in the process of making our own brand so every detail should always be checked and evaluated. My wife and i also added a few products to our food store in mendiola, manila to increase our revenue. We also talked to a few friends, purchased and borrowed equipment for the store.

Leon, our son is growing up fast and will turn 2 this March. You could just imagine our situation at home where he always make it a point to enjoy all his toys and books, play with our cats and try to enjoy eating while playing. Our room is his playground everyday, playing with his 3 girl cousins and his yaya. His favorite toys are balls, balloons and toy cars. He is also learning to speak a few words which is very nice to hear when we go home after a hard day's work.

We have a lot of plans for this year but our priority is to expand our business and to look for a new home. Another priority is to focus more on blogging to learn more and eventually earn from it. We know that this year will be very busy for us since we are trying to balance work, business, family time but we also need to focus on our health. We plan to schedule regular exercises like jogging, walking and running and hopefully play more badminton this year. Hopefully this year will be better for us and Leon will grow up well and always be healthy all year round.

Starting up our business

This blog is a continuation of my previous one about food business. It has been 3 weeks and up to now we still don't have a substantial income from it, why? Here are the reasons:

1. Capital - Why put up a business without a capital? Well, as i have mentioned before, we got a partner to add capital and a loan from a bank. What happened? We paid a franchise business as soon as we got the money because they actually told us that the site was approved and only the money is incomplete why they cannot deliver the booth and goods. To cut a long story short, upon getting our payment, they found 101 reasons why suddenly our location was not approved. Sounds familiar? Up to this time, they are still holding the money and we cannot get the refund. I could not believe that we were a victim of these unprofessional business people. Why were we involved? We were referred by a close relative whom we really trust to help us out start our small business. Hmmm, so to my readers out there, please try to stay away from getting a business from a donuts company (not the top 3) but a common name located near schools, markets, bus terminals, etc.

2. Product- Since we were deceived by the donut company to pay, we actually are looking for an alternative. A lot has been suggested but i guess i have to try the most famous snacks. Dimsum, burger, sandwiches, pizza, hotdog, squid balls, fishballs and the likes. Hopefully we can make up for the lost 3 weeks (actually we are on a loss, since we started paying rent since day 1).

3. Marketing and Promotions - Nothing whatsoever. I guess we were dependent on the donut company for marketing stuff and promotions. Now we have to make our brand (hopefully this will be a blessing in disguise).

4. Location - Our location is good but without the product, good location with no product equals no income.

5. Added capital - Another thing, i got declined from 2 banks i applied for a loan. Double whammy?

So that's it.... I guess we have to make the best of what we have for the meantime.....

Food Business

This year my wife and i planned to put up a business to support our family and have an extra income besides our salaries. We actually tried to put up a donut shop near my previous workplace in Intramuros, Manila but unfortunately we got denied by the company. We haven't had time to look for alternative sites since then because either we were too busy working or we just want to spend our extra time with our son and relax after working for 5-6 days in a week.

A few weeks ago, my sister, who has a food business of her own, asked us if we were interested to rent her space near Mendiola street in Manila. She told me she can not maintain her outlet there since it is too far from her place (she lives in quezon city) and that place is the lowest in generating income. We were hesitant at first upon learning the rent expense but after a few days of weighing the pros and cons, we decided to go for it.

We decided to get a loan from a bank to bring in capital and to get a partner who can help us manage and add more capital. Fortunately we got a partner who is also interested to put up a business and after visiting the place, he immediately confirmed his interest. It was a good sign for us so hopefully things will turn out good in the next few days.