A Heritage Experience At The Rizal Park Hotel

Last November, 2018, I had the privilege of another heritage experience, this time at the former Army Navy Club of Manila, now known as The Rizal Park Hotel.  I spent three days of comfort, warmth and beauty in this wonderfully renovated and preserved edifice.  If you are the type who likes to avoid big crowds and noisy places, this is the place for you. 

#MakeITsafePH - Online Safety For My Pre-Teen And For My Peace of Mind

The widespread use of the internet has given rise to the emergence of internet-related crimes such as rape, theft, bullying and piracy which made the public, especially the youth, very vulnerable. I have a nine year old (soon to be ten) daughter whose online presence is growing day by day. This is something inevitable and so, for my peace of mind and for my daughter's online safety, I have established a set of rules regarding internet usage.

Thanksgiving Thoughts: When Life Gives You More Lemons...

It seems that  all those 'lemons' thrown at me and my family in 2016 aren't quite done yet.  

Take my younger brother, for instance...

Bacolod City And Negros Occidental Welcomes Seda Capitol Central

A new hotel in town will have it's soft opening in time for the MassKara Festival!  A press release* from AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts has announced that it will open it's seventh property in the country, the homegrown brand Seda hotels, by October 2017.

 

This is Seda Capitol Central in Bacolod City which will have 154 rooms, catering largely to business travelers. By 2021, Bacolod will join the ranks of the top five cities in Visayas and Mindanao with the largest office gross floor areas catering mostly to Business Process Outsourcing firms (BPOs) seeking provincial sites, according to industry studies. Cebu City will take the lead with Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Bacolod following in that order. “Anticipating this economic growth, Seda began establishing properties as early as 2013 in the two key Mindanao cities; in Iloilo, last year; and now, in Bacolod,” according to Al Legaspi, President and Chief Executive Officer of AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts. Seda’s Cebu property is already under development while more new properties are being planned, he adds. Other Seda hotels are located in Taguig, Nuvali and Quezon City. Seda’s Senior Group General Manager Andrea Mastellone states, “Our goal is to be the preferred hospitality brand in the country catering to both local and global travelers. By offering our guests superior accommodations, service in line with international standards and a strategic location, Seda has succeeded in attracting a loyal following and an exceptional guest return ratio.”

Welcoming The New Year At L'Fisher Hotel- Bacolod

Welcoming the New Year is a big tradition in this country, and people everywhere celebrate new year's eve literally with a bang! My family is a little different because we would usually spend it at home, with less fun fare compared to our neighbors, since our house help would all go off-duty to be with their respective families. But there were those special occasions where we did celebrate in the hotels or clubs. In fact, one of the most memorable and fun experiences I had growing up was spending new year's eve in a hotel with my parents and brothers. I remember with nostalgia, the music, the laughter and the warm camaraderie among family, friends and yes, even strangers. 

Preemie Diaries: Becoming A Princess At SM Princess Academy

Last Sunday, December 4, 2016, through SM Kids and SM Accessories, the Princess Academy came to the Kingdom of SM City Bacolod. We got an invitation to attend as guest and this will be the first time that Preemie girl will be attending, so you can imagine our excitement!   But with the school intramural just finished, the  on-going practices for her First Holy Communion, and as a full-time working mom nursing a bad cough, I simply had very little time and energy left to prepare. In fact by the end of the working week, I was trying to convince Preemie girl not to attend anymore.  However, unlike in the past where my little girl was not that interested, this time she really wanted to go.

The Broadband Holiday Sale

A press release from Globe revealed that Globe Broadband and Bayan Broadbands are giving the gift of connectivity this Christmas through a holiday sale, where Globe Broadband and Bayan Broadband plans will be available for 50% off in select areas!

Heritage Travel in the Philippines

I love history and learning about culture, and whenever I get the chance to travel in the country or abroad, heritage is the first thing I look for. One does not have to go far to see heritage sites, because there are plenty of these in my country, the Philippines. Just to name a few, we have in the island of Luzon, the Banawe Rice Terraces, The City of Vigan, the Municipality of Taal, Pila in Laguna and The Walled City of Intramuros; in the Visayas, we have Cebu City, the town of Carcar, Dumaguete City, Iloilo City and of course, my very own, the “Paris of Negros” Silay City where we gave blogger friends a mini heritage tour in 2012; and in Mindanao, there is the town of Dapitan and Zamboanga City. In fact, many of these are still on my bucket list of must see places before even embarking on another Asian trip. It’s almost the end of the year, and it is time to plan for summer travel. There are so lots of places to go to, but how do I decide where to go first? These are the first things I usually check when planning a heritage trip.

Return Of The DAISO!

Anyone who likes to shop (me) for bargains and other interesting but affordable stuff should be familiar with DAISO Japan store. When they opened in Robinson's Place Bacolod in December 2012, little did I know that it was a store that catered to my heart.  Obviously, I am a regular shopper and so when I saw that it closed, you can imagine my anxiety attack.  I was told however that they were undergoing some renovation and will reopen soon with a bigger and better store. What a relief!

UNIQLO, Love At First Try

I first heard of UNIQLO watching a news documentary about 2 or three years ago.  Back then, I thought it was just another retail store trying to make it big in the world market. When a branch opened in Manila and friends would rave about the clothing the store sells, I became curious.  Of course, not being fond of Manila, I never really got to shop in their branches there. Fast forward to June 15, 2016 when Negros Bloggers were invited for a press tour and VIP shopping as a preview to their grand opening on the 17th of June. Well, folks...it was love at first try!

How To Live The Sweet Life in Negros Occidental

Negros Occidental comprises one of the two provinces of the recently created Negros Island Region, the other being Negros Oriental. I have been to many provinces and cities around the country but I dare say that Negros Occidental is indeed the sweet spot in the Philippines.  Being a native of this place, people will say I am biased. Well, perhaps I am, but it is also a fact that in a country with wet and dry spells, with typhoons and heavy rains on one hand and drought on the other bringing havoc to everyone's life and property, Negros Occidental is blessed with relatively good weather the whole year round.  This is only one of the many reasons why it is consistently voted as one of the best places to live in the country. In fact, Bacolod City in Occidental Negros was voted the most livable city in the Philippines by MoneySense Magazine in 2008, while Dumaguete City, capital of Oriental Negros has been listed in 2015 by Huffington Post as one of the best places to retire in the world.

Things To Know When Driving In The Philippines

I drive everyday and let me just say that driving in the Philippines (and Negros Occidental in particular) is enough to give any rational human being several ulcers! I believe that the following information when driving in the Philippines are important things to know. The Filipino driver as a rule (to be fair there are exceptions like me, for example) must be all or any the following:

Driving in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental

Driving in the highways of Negros Occidental and in the streets of Bacolod City can make a person crazy or delusional. Take me for example…a perfectly rational, calm and collected person most of the time…but when I’m driving there are many moments that I would have this big urge of getting out of my vehicle and become a traffic enforcer or a policeman or an LTO officer even for just a day. Why? Because I want to be able to catch these traffic violators that cross my path!

Celebrate The Year Of The Fire Monkey At Vikings!

photo taken from the Facebook page

Celebrate the Chinese New Year at Vikings and enjoy their promo for those born in the Year of the Monkey. I am a Fire Monkey and this is my year!

Hurray for Kuya J Resto!

A few months ago while waiting for my new tires to be mounted, I decided to bring my 81 year old mother to one of the newer restaurants in town, KUYA J, and surprise, surprise...she liked it!  This was great news because as she is getting on in years, my mom's taste buds have changed, and more often than not, eating has become like a chore for her. She was also very picky when it comes to eating out. And so it was a joy to see her enjoying the food and eating with gusto the dishes set before her.  I was so tempted to shout, Hurray for Kuya J!  This family oriented restaurant that serves authentic Filipino dishes, began in Cebu and is now one of the fastest growing chain of restaurants in the country.

How To Celebrate The Chinese New Year in Bacolod City

Chinese New Year will be on February 8, 2016, the start of the Year of the Fire (Red) Monkey.  I am not superstitious and don't really believe in fortune-telling, but I am open to all suggestions since I was born in a monkey year.  Not many people or places celebrate Chinese New Year but in the Philippines, it is a public holiday.  Most Chinese-Filipino communities in other parts of the country have some sort of celebration, whether big or small.  Here are some ways to welcome the Year of the Fire Monkey in Bacolod City and the Province of Negros Occidental:

Am I A Fire Monkey Or...Not

source

I am not a fan of any kind of astrology or fortune telling so it is no surprise that I was not aware that 2016 is the Year of the Monkey.  When someone told me, I shrugged and promptly put it out of my mind.  But with the upcoming Chinese New year celebrations and many social media posts about it, I learned that not only is 2016 a monkey year but it is that of a fire/red monkey, an element-sign combination that recurs every 60 years, the last time was in 1956, the year I was born.  Yes, dear readers, I am turning 60 this year. And so I thought, hey, maybe it would be interesting to find out more about my Chinese Zodiac Monkey.

A Message Of Thanks To Our Sponsors

Before the Year of the Green Sheep ends, the Negrense Blogging Society, Inc. would like convey a message of thanks to our valued sponsors and friends for their support in our activities the past year. It has been a very fruitful and enjoyable partnership, which we hope will continue as long as there are bloggers and the society exist. We look forward to many happy collaboration in this Year of the Red Monkey. 

Dress Up And Look Flawless With This Purple Sequin Mesh and Strapless Short Dress!

I recently had the experience of getting invitations from friends, of weddings that require you to not only dress up presentably, but also elegantly because she kindly asked you to be one of her bridesmaids. I was a little stressed out looking for something to wear. With a job on the weekdays, and spending time with family and friends on the weekends, I barely had time to go shopping out in stores.

The Good Life At The District North Point

In this day and age, malls are the to go to places of the young and old alike. I guess for many, one simple way of experiencing "the good life" is by going to the malls. While most people like the big malls, I on the other hand, love the ambiance and accessibility of small malls. In Metro Manila, my most liked places to go to are Greenbelt, Rockwell, Podium and Shangri-La Plaza.  I dislike big crowds and try to avoid it as much as I could, maybe because I got lost in it twice when I was a kid.