Proud Employee of Yellowduck, Ltd.
First week of March 2011 I got hired as the corporate blogger for Bling Duck, a brand of Yellowduck, Ltd. Our company’s office is based in HongKong but we get to work here as freelancers! Dunno though if we’re going to stay in Duck vacation homes when we’re there, kidding! 
The pay is also good and my bosses are very supportive so I’m quite lucky, eh?
Bling Duck is a flip flop brand. It’s a trendy, seriously fun – perfect for urban professionals. It’s still to be released in the market so we’re doing everything to promote the product.
Check here for our beautiful kiosk: http://www.yellowduckteam.com/2011/03/23/the-yellowduck-kiosk/
Know more about us by becoming a fan on our Facebook page: http://www.blingduck.com/
Summer 2011 is Here!
Summer in Manila has officially started! It’s already March and slowly people are planning for their Summer 2011 getaway. Have you planned yours already?
On our case, our summer officially starts end of May, just when everyone’s ready for school and has gone back to Manila hehe. We’re leaving for Leyte (our yearly destination) on May 28th and will be back on June 7, 2011. ) At these times, the beaches have already cleared and booking for hotels are always easy peasy.
This year, we’re planning to visit Kuting Reef in Southern Leyte and even Cebu. Last year, we were in Bohol and it was one hell of a trip
How about you, where are you going this summer? Don’t forget the swimsuit, branded beach balls and sun protection gadgets, okay?
Bag of Beans New Branch in Tagaytay
Last Saturday we went to Tagaytay ‘to eat’ Tagaytay is still far from us, in fact, we live nearer Metro Manila but we wanted some fresh air so off we went to Tagaytay.
We went to Leslie’s, Yellow Cab and capped our visit with a merienda in Bag of Beans’ new branch – Pinoy Toppings. This is located very near Silang Crossing, adjacent the BPI building.
We loved the set-up of the place. It remind me of our old house in Leyte, old yet still clean and has lots of stories to tell
What I loved the most was their rest rooms. The glass tiles has no pattern but somehow it jived with the whole set-up.
the creepy window
The View from Above
Bag of Beans Pinoy Toppings
Crossing Silang, Tagaytay
Christmas: ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly and Secured
The Christmas season is just around the corner and in the Philippines, Christmas and theft are relative. A few of my friends have been held up, mobbed because these crooks NEED TO GET EASY MONEY and they do this by hurting people.
Ever wonder why the houses now are all in grills? Because people no longer feel safe in their houses. Securing an infrastructure in the Philippines can be very, very expensive. My uncle who rents a 20 square-meter place spent more than 25K in security gadgets alone.
Nowadays, CCTV cameras are common in houses and establishments. Homeowners and business owners would pay for a spy gear if they could – just to ensure that they don’t get hurt.
But it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? If you can afford to secure your houses, why not?
Motorhome? How I wish!
When I was a kid, my uncle in the States would always tell me to study hard so he can bring me to the States. I studied hard but I never got the chance to set foot on the United States of America. Oh well, maybe it wasn’t meant to be And hey, I’m still young and I have all the opportunities to visit them, right?
Anyway, there are some things that make me want to visit the Land of the Free, and the Top 3 Reasons are:
- Snow
Oh, how I wish that there’s snow in the Philippines! My friends tell me that you’ll only love snow for a few days but you’ll hate it eventually haha but who cares? I want to see and feel the snow. Soon…
- Shopping
I want to shop until I drop in the United States and sell it here! Nakakaloka mag shopping galore sa Amerika!
- Motorhomes
My uncle would always make kwento about their motorhome. They’d travel all the way to Lake Tahoe in a vehicle that functions like their house. How cool is that? Back then, I know nothing about it’s price and the amount one has to shed for motorhome repairs hehe
I just hope that someday I’d get the chance to visit America, to shop, to see and feel snow and to travel by a motorhome
I’m Going to Baguio….and I’m Excited LOL
It isn’t my first time to visit Baguio but it’s going to be my first with blogger friends as company. First I thought that I could bring Yona along but the organizers said no…BUT I SHOULD GO hahaha so there! In a few hours we’re leaving Manila and we’ll be back on Friday afternoon.
What excites me aside from the Mines View Hotel stay is the trip to Ukay-Ukay! My friend Mhellai told me that I could buy womens boots for only P100 there. Oh boy, oh boy! I want to hoard boots and bags!
Baguio, here I come!!!
Summer-Ender Day 5: San Agustin Church & Alona Beach
Our day started with a 6am mass at San Agustin Church. The church is a few steps away from where we stayed, in Casa Bianca.
the great grand dad and his favorite apo sa tuhod.
After the mass…family pictures! – - – a very dramatic one. May tinopak, may pumatol at lahat nag walk out in the end LOL
Before noon we were already in Alona beach, where anyone can freely take a dip and enjoy the sun, white sand and cool breeze of Panglao Island.
Bohol is indeed a hidden paradise and if given a chance, I’d gladly live there 
The life is so laid back, the people are nice, the place is beautiful…I wouldn’t ask for anything more
Summer-Ender Day 4: Baclayon Church, Chocolate Hills, Loboc River, Tarsier Watching
June 5, 2010
We started our day early because we planned on hitting 4 tourist destinations that day.
First Stop: Baclayon Church
The second oldest stone church in the Philippines is located six kilometers away from Tagbilaran City, Bohol. It was built in 1595 by the Jesuit priests. The church is still intact and has important relics and images from the historic Catholic religion in the Philippines.
Among those displayed in the church museum are: crystal chandelier, silver tabernacle, altar with carvings inlaid with gold, life-size statues and more.
They were very strict with proper ‘church attire’ by the way. I was wearing my good old mini-skirt so I had no choice but to wear the saya provided.
Second Stop: Chocolate Hills
A visit to Bohol is not complete without visiting the Chocolate Hills. The viewing deck is 210 feet so we were panting on our way up! I thought that I lost all my fats hahaha! I no longer need colonoxy LOL
Third Stop: Loboc River
Lunch in Loboc River is really a must when you visit Bohol. Buffet costs P300/head + P100/head entrance fee. You also have the option to rent an entire boat for P2,500 (plus Buffet cost of P300/head + P100/head entrance fee) should you want a private cruise.
Fourth Stop: Tarsiers!
There was a tarsier conservatory in Loboc, located just along the highway so we dropped by before heading home.
The tarsiers are one of the smallest known primates. This shy and sensitive animal feed on insects from burnt woods found in Leyte, Samar and in some parts of Mindanao.
Tarsier viewing is free though they are accepting donations of any amount.
Summer-Ender Day 3: Travel to Bohol
The original plan was to leave the house by 4:30am but we left the house around 4:40am already. The loading our things alone took us around 3o minutes to finish. We were awake around 12:45am BTW – everyone was excited especially Tatay Nonoy hahaha – he didn’t sleep and it pissed Mommie off!
First Stop: Agas-Agas Bridge in Mahaplag-Sogod section of Tacloban-Liloan Road
Agas-Agas is the tallest bridge in the Philippines and is now the newest tourist attraction in the Southern Leyte area.
Second Stop: Bato Port, Bato Leyte
From Bato Port, we took the RORO to Ubay, Bohol. We were on sea for about 3 hours but really, it wasn’t a boring ride. We enjoyed the view and the pristine blue waters.
Travel Tips:
RORO Fees: P205/head (non-aircon) | P225/head (aircon) | P1,949 for our van
You can buy the following native delicacies in Bato, Leyte:
Salvaro
Galletas
Piaya
Ubay, Bohol to Panglao Island is a 3-hour drive but the travel was far from boring. The whole stretch from Ubay to Panglao is very clean and we saw lots of historical old stone churches along the way.
We arrived Bohol around 4pm that day and spent the rest of it lounging in Bohol’s newest mall, Island City Mall
Summer-Ender Day 1 and 2: From Manila to Leyte
June 2, 2010
Our flight was 4:20am in the morning so we were already at the airport around 12:30am. Not that we were very excited, but we wanted to maximize the P200/head terminal fee of NAIA Terminal 3.
Here’s a photo of the little girl playing her Hello Kitty game:
Us, all sugary-high during check-in
NAIA Terminal 3 is very clean, has free WiFi, has various food establishments inside.
Travel Tip: If you want to save on money, try eating on the food establishments on the 4th floor. There’s the famous Jollibee, Yona’s fave convenience store – Mini-Stop, Yellow Cab pizza, Dimsum and Dumplings, Mister Donut and Kopiroti. The food establishments on the first floor and inside the pre-boarding areas are quite expensive.
I was asleep all throughout the flight and woke up with this – magnificent sunrise just before the plane landed in Tacloban City airport:
The plane landed around 5:10, 10 minutes earlier than the 5:20 schedule. This is what I love about being in Leyte, I always get to see the sunrise – something that I cannot possibly do in the metro.
Our hometown, Abuyog, Leyte is located 62 kilometers away from Tacloban City. In an hour, we were already there weeee! It really feels great to be home!
Travel Tips: The following airlines travel from Manila to Tacloban daily: Cebu Pacific, Zest Air and Philippine Airlines. Traveling by land is also possible though it will take you about 22 hours from Manila to Tacloban.
Aside from my family and friends, I terribly miss the food in Leyte. The place is very rich in coconut trees so expect that most of the delicacies have coconut milk on it.
Ginataang Kalabasa
Lawot lawot
Pakbet
Lumpiang Gulay – our version of lumpiang gulay has singkamas, carrots, baguio beans and pork instead of bean sprouts and camote.
We also asked someone to get freshly picked buko yummy!
The rest of Day 1 and 2 were spent at home and on the beach.
