Enchanted Kingdom’s yellow treat:

By simply wearing yellow on Wednesday (any clothing or shoes that constitute 75% yellow), enjoy a one day special rate of P350 each on Enchanted Kingdom’s Regular Day Passes.

On June 30, 2010 the Park will be opened from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with Fireworks Display at 8:30PM. EK Biki Waterworld, EK’s water park, on the other hand, will be closed on that day and will resume on July 3 to 4 from 3p.m. to 9 p.m.

Cebu Pacific’s P15 seat sale!:

” Cebu Pacific (CEB) salutes the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, with a system-wide seat sale as low as P15. The Seat Sale starts now until June 30, 2010, for travel from October 1 to November 30, 2010.

All CEB domestic destinations are up for grabs for the ‘Go Lite’ seat sale fare of P15. Meanwhile, all CEB international destinations are available for the ‘Go Lite’ seat sale fare of P1,500.

The domestic sale is only available via the Cebu Pacific website at www.cebupacificair.com or through travel agents using the Amadeus global distribution system while international seats are offered through all booking channels. More than 150,000 seats are available for this sale!”

Am not a big fan of flying, or of heights and tall buildings but I just have to say the view from the 42nd floor of this hotel in Ortigas Center is quite breathtaking. This manic Tuesday happened to find me in the middle of Ortigas, first: to visit the 34th floor office of Robinsons Land, and then then the penthouse (42nd floor) of another. I didn’t quite realize the area is full of skyscrapers. I guess riding high-speed elevators would be like routine if you work here. It isn’t really the norm in the heart of Manila (where am based) with buildings there only ten to 20 storeys high at the most.

Okay am rambling.Tall buildings are structurally sound and built to withstand natural calamities like earthquakes (!!) Besides, you wouldn’t be in any place safer if something like typhoon Ondoy struck again. Still, am not the type who prefers living in a tall condo because am not really comfortable with the idea. Look what happened during 9/11..and earthquakes. Ugh.

But with views like this, who needs fear? Manila seen in another light. Photo taken at Discovery Suites penthouse, Ortigas Center.

Launching our little business last month has been an eye-opening experience. It has broadened my mind about the dynamics of being an entrepreneur in this country. I am bound to agree with the observations of some people (including foreigners) that the environment for doing business in the Philippines is poor and discouraging. But first of all, President Arroyo should crack the whip on agencies who are “good on paper” but are actually NO GOOD in what they do.

For example, how does DTI Secretary Peter Favila and his staff explain the more than one month wait in the approval of business names? I am asking this because the DTI even goes to the extremes of spending millions for advertising their Business Name Registration Service (DTI BNRS is supposedly a frontline service for the registry of sole proprietorships). The last time, I saw their half-page ads in the Inquirer.

More than one month of waiting for government approval of a business name is just inexcusable. It certainly doesn’t speak of the prompt delivery of service and efficiency of the DTI. My fellow applicants and I have been in touch through cellphone and they told me that they haven’t received their certificates from DTI as well. We applied on the second week of May. DTI BNRS promised to process our applications in two weeks, and they were supposed to mail our papers to us.

Another question that begs to be answered is: have DTI services deteriorated? I remember opening an eatery eight years ago, and I got my approved business name on the same day at the main DTI office in Buendia. The establishment of satellite offices (now in Hi-Way 54, Park & Ride Lawton, and Kalookan City) is supposed to make their work easier, but look at what’s happening. Does the DTI have no computer software to search for any duplication in business names? If they are doing investigation as well, they probably shouldn’t promise two weeks , when what they actually mean is TWO YEARS.

I am worried about the shortcomings in DTI’s services. An approved business name is, after all, the first step in obtaining a business license. Without it, nothing else moves. The very slow approval process actually encourages corruption as some people would certainly be tempted to hire a broker or a fixer to facilitate things. But corruption is the least that a small business owner/ entrepreneur with very little capital would like to experience and encounter.

Now, do we still have to wonder why it’s better to do business online, or engage in the underground economy? High taxes, red tape, corruption and DTI’s big-time registration PHAIL make it all possible.

*END OF RANT*

My related post on Barrio Siete: Mag-monkey business na lang tayo

This morning, I did something that was out of my routine. Instead of checking my emails first thing, I viewed the town’s most talked about videos featuring a celebrity doctor and his separate trysts with three models slash showbiz personalities, in various states of undress. It is because my web-connected friends have been talking about them that I had to ask for a link, rather belatedly. Of course, the sex tapes are also now available in your friendly bootleg vendor in Quiapo and elsewhere.

What made the stuff even more interesting is that the expose was made by a senator whose name was linked to several actresses before, while being married with kids.Talk about irony.

One of the women in the scandal, Katrina Halili, has come out in the open to denounce Dr. Hayden Kho who was responsible for videotaping their private moments. I must say she must use the attention she already got from lawmakers to pursue this case till the end. It doesn’t matter what kind of woman she is, or the fact that she’s a sexy starlet. The Hayden Kho scandal should be a test case for the proliferation of privately filmed videos where unknowing women are often the victims, and exploited in the marketplace.

Today’s technology is encompassing, but there should be a law drafted to prohibit the production, distribution and sale of these sex videos. You have to consider if it happens to you, your daughter, or any of your relatives or friends…. and how the people seen in these videos are made objects of ridicule or disgust. I DO wonder where the women’s groups are in this fight, and why they don’t seem to be raising a noise.

As a theft victim myself, I couldn’t help but feel the pain of friends and acquaintances who’ve lost their precious gadgets recently.

One is my Plurk friend Pau who lost his laptop and high-end cameras at the rooftop parking lot of MC Home Depot, The Fort in a span of less than 10 minutes!

Last night, Plurk was abuzz again with news of another robbery. This time, somebody recounted how some rogue peeps broke into the trunk of a car and stole a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and a Dell laptop amounting to more than P200,000 at the Podium parking lot in Ortigas.

Yogini Jane recounts how one lost a laptop through the clever workings of the Salisi Gang.

Earlier in our photography class, my seatmate also recounted how she lost her camera collection in her parked car inside BF Homes Paranaque.

Another (and a reporter at that!) was victimized by somebody who engaged him in a conversation in Greenbelt. He lost his MacBook because he put down his bag to talk. His bag was gone in a split second.

The common thread in all these is that it’s almost suicidal to leave valuable items in any part of the car these days… no matter how inconspicuous they are. It seems that ruthless thieves are now targetting gadgets more expensive than cellphones. And they are doing so upscale places in Makati, Taguig and Ortigas.

One part of me thinks if this is in any way related to the elections, but laptops will always be in-demand among students and the like. (Yes, even if the advent of cheap netbooks has made owning a laptop easier)

An even more dangerous trend: unscrupulous persons are cannibalizing stolen items and selling them by parts, where they’re less likely to be traced. Browse the online marketplace and you’ll see some ads being ran about Macbook LCD screens for sale, and being peddled for $200 to $400.

Here’s my thoughts on the matter:

1. A laptop bag almost always screams “yes, this is a laptop. Come and get me.” I would really like to have those fashionable laptop bags, but a part of me says the bag should be as inconspicuous as possible to attract thieves LESS.

2. Consider asking around for insurance for your precious possessions. I think Canon Philippines has a promo now where every new purchase of a DLSR camera entitles one to protection in case of loss or theft from Malayan Insurance.

3. Consider installing anti-theft software. Okay, the subject of my next post.

4. Get an auto free insurance quote or shop car insurance, and see if it provides for replacement of items lost in the vehicle itself.

5. Back up your files always. Because the second most painful part about losing your valuables are the files in it. We love Apple Time capsule because it is a wireless router and at the same time backs up your Mac automatically.

6. Talking to the police…. a waste of time and an exercise in futility. Am sorry to say this, and am not saying you shouldn’t ever put your incident on record, either. Am just frustrated with the fact that the police will only jot down the details and secretly consider you just a sorry statistic among the countless incidents of theft in Metro Manila. When my bag was snatched last year, the policeman who did so posted bail and was freed within 24 hours

Related posts:

The man who snatched my bag…. was a policeman!

Stolen laptops, car robberies in Ortigas, The Fort

My Manila Bulletin column on A Blogger’s Wishlist For Christmas appeared two weeks ago, and am reprinting it here. Our peer, Melo Villareal, has an ongoing blog promotion on Christmas wishlists and am joining coz I want to win the 2009 Starbucks Planner, even though last year’s remain unused

Here it goes:

It’s the time of the year again! Christmas is synonymous with wishlists and we do this for a couple of reasons: remind ourselves in choosing which stuff to spend our bonus on, guide our loved ones as to our preferences, or serve as a raincheck for future purchases.

The difficulty with blogging is that it’s a technologically-dependent field. You’d almost always need your own computer, high-speed internet connection, cameras to aid in your photo-documentation, software as needed, and other gadgets you see your blogging contemporaries using. This is what makes blogging pressure-filled. You gotta keep up with the Joneses, so to speak.

Don’t get me wrong. One can survive in blogging by owning just the basics. There’s even talk of a blogger earning a lot of money from his site, but has to bike his way to the nearest internet cafe. Still, it’s better to be equipped with the best, and that is why I crave for the following things:

1. A new cellphone, either a Nokia E61 or the new E63. Don’t know why, but I just like the look of this mobile phone, after attending the line’s launching in Singapore this year. The fact that it has wi-fi and a decent camera is an added plus.

2. The new Macbook. I’ve never been a Mac user so owning one is a dream come true for me. I already have the new Macbook THERE but it is not yet HERE with me, if you know what I mean. Counting the days. I have my Benefactor to thank for, in advance

3. Photography lessons. I need lessons since I can’t be bothered with reading my professional camera’s manual.Plus, it’s always good to learn from experts in the field. I still don’t know if I have to take professional classes, per se, or just bug my photojournalist friends to teach me how. Photography is up there on my list of interests so this is high priority for me.

4.A new blog theme. I just know that I need to improve the canvas on which I write on, so yes, a new design is coming soon

5. A reliable web host.This is not a wish already since I got the web host I can count on. I just pray that the people of the US-based Laughing Squid continue with their reliability and 99.9% uptime. Having come from the nightmare of a few local web hosts who gave me downtime whenever I looked, I realized the utmost importance of a hosting service which can impeccably deliver. What good is an awesome theme and content if your readers can’t see it because your site is down? Ouch.

6.A new iPod. Time was when I had an iPod Touch, until it was stolen away from me. How I mourned for that one, considering its sentimental value. Now, I am just dreaming of a handier, more compact iPod Nano in bubblegum pink. It should be easier to bring along since it’s smaller, and I need to cut my losses.A blogger has to take a break sometimes, and the better way to do this is to listen to music (and podcasts!).

7 Viva social networking! In the beginning, there was Friendster. After which there came Facebook, Twitter, a little bit of LinkedIn and now, Plurk. It just keeps on getting better. The benefits of all these are new modes of expression, more friends, and learning more of this platform called micro-blogging. If tomorrow we wake up and find out that there’s a better service than Plurk, at least we’ll be assured that it’s more interactive than the last.

8.More travels and explorations.Trying out new tastes, discovering little nooks and crannies, continually learning… these are all a blogger’s best friends. So I say yes to more food, places and expetiences explored in 2009, in the hope that there’d be greater, more wonderful things to be shared to our readers.

Get the geek on!

Two launch events I attended recently has made me do a double take on the state of our economy. If real estate companies are building more condos and houses, is there hope for better times ahead? Probably. If there’s one belief that has been inculcated on me by other people, it is that you invest in land today with the hope that prices will appreciate in the future. Still have to test if the hypothesis is true, since I haven’t disposed of any piece of real estate to see if substantial gains can be had…or not.

Another real estate assumption is that it is always good to buy at “preselling” rates. This means plunking down your money on a piece of structure that hasn’t been built yet. The good thing is that you get it at the lowest possible price per square meter. The bad thing is that it will remain a “risk” until the structure or unit is finished and is formally turned over to you. The safest way is always to invest in reputable companies, with a portfolio of fully-completed projects. Another advice is to review the contract so that you can actually recover your downpayment when either the project or the company itself goes down the drain due to bankruptcy or some other reason.

One Pacific Place is one such condominium project that is being sold at preselling rates. The property proponents, ACI Group & Cactus Realty, enjoins its target market to invest in a unit today and occupy it by 2011. Two things it boasts about – a good location in Makati’s Salcedo Village and excellent track record of being the company behind Pan Pacific Hotel Manila. Investors can grab studio units now at P1.9 million or so which is not bad for prevailing prices in the prime business area.

Another property hotspot to look out for are the projects of Alveo Land Corporation, formerly known as Community Innovations. Alveo is the originator of high-end projects in the booming Makati-Taguig boundary such as Two Serendra and the Columns Legaspi Village. They also have a line-up of properties out-of-town, from Laguna to Pampanga. All projects take into consideration environmental sustainability and the well-rounded needs of residents so that you literally “work where you live, and live where you play.” As proof that all is not downtrodden in the economy, Alveo Land posted earnings of P4.8 billion last year, up by an impressive 53% from the income of P3.1 billion in 2006.

I used to have my dream house, but now that am living in it, a condo remains a dream address for the following reasons:

1. Proximity. I think this is the whole point of having a condo, it being a few blocks away from your office, favorite mall or resto. Nothing like walking in the heart of Makati rather than driving for 45 minutes to reach TimeZone.

2. Prestige. As long as it’s not some run-down government project and actually has a landscaped swimming area and high-speed elevator. Wi-fi would be tall order, but yes, that too.

3. Security. Have had friends whose stuff was stolen even in the most uppity condos but it was more of a personal issue than anything else. If all guests are screened in your condo and there are CCTV cameras on every floor, then you should feel safe enough, and that’s good.

4. Value appreciation. Even if some people contend that it’s not wise to invest in a condo since you’re not stepping on a piece of land, a condo in a prime area still appreciates higher than a faraway house in the great suburbs. And a condo unit is easier to rent it out too.

more

Thanks to A.S. for making this dream come true.

Thanks to Mahoney (Mah Honey, geddit?) for making my shopping dream in the Great Singapore Sale come true

Posts coming soon. (Supposing I don’t get buried in them curry crabs and shoppings bags. Heh.)

Man has come a long way since latrines and poo-ing in leaves and newspapers (honestly did this once, while camping!) We now have portalets and a multitude of designs for home bathrooms. I was prepared for some normalcy until I saw the ‘his and hers’ toilet bowl from TwoDaLoo…..

It is described as ” the world’s first toilet two people can use … at the exact same time. The TwoDaLoo features two side-by-side toilet seats with a modest privacy wall in between. An upgraded version includes a seven inch LCD television and iPod docking station. ”

The dual bowl promises to “bring couples closer together and conserve our water supply, all with one flush.” The latter is commendable, the former questionable. I don’t think too many couples will take to it like ducks to water (pardon the pun), and that’s me included. I want my own toilet private time…wouldn’t you? The Bible did say “for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health..,” but it wasn’t about to say “till constipation and yer smelly poop do us part.”

Speaking of which….

Our office recently installed smart/electronic toilets similar to the ones I saw in Japan and that found in Sango Burger’s Makati branch.

It’s cool! Unlike Sango’s, ours has the friendly buttons located directly to your right. You can adjust the toilet seat temperature, water temperature and strength of water flow from low, moderate to high. Also you can choose to turn on the “auto deodorizer” and select between “shower,” “bidet” and “dry.” I like the drizzle of hot water and all this makes me super clean. My wish would be for these toilets to have vibrate function as well. Tall order you say, hmm? Nuff said.

Dear Boy Friend,

You must love me
’cause you gave me this DSLR.

I love your MacBook Pro,
I love you too.

Thanks for making A Dream come true.