My Favorite Destinations In My Country Philippines

Of all the things I love doing, traveling is my number one favorite. And I have quite visited a lot of places in my country. Each of them gave me a distinct experience and learning. I loved my every travels and I’ve collected wonderful memories and a bunch of photos. I want to share with you the places in my country which I think is the best :) Here are my top 10 but excluding my own place Davao, it will always be my number 1 ;)

Baguio

I love Baguio! I love its cold weather. It’s the only cold city in the Philippines where the climate is tropical. I love Baguio because of its picturesque and manicured setting making it different from any other places I’ve visited in the Philippines. In fact, I’ve visited it twice last year, one during the summer and one on December :) where the weather in the Philippines is hottest and coldest respectively.

Bohol

Bohol is an island with lots of activities to do and really beautiful beaches. You’ll fall in love with the beauty of Panglao and its wonderful diving sites. Not only resorts but places to visit like Chocolate Hills and cruising and dining along Loboc River. Meet the small creatures Tarsier that can only be found in Bohol.

Laoag, Ilocos Norte

Laoag feels different also. I always have a different feeling when I visit places and it’s the most homey and tranquil place I have ever visited. It was like a soul connection no kidding! Hehe I fell in love with Fort Ilocandia and San Agustin Church. I love the winds in Bagui where you can find the only windmills in Southeast Asia. There’s also the somewhat old and eery lighthouse in North Ilocos.

Vigan, Ilocos Sur

This place gives you the feel of being in Spanish time. The whole Crisologo Street was preserved up to this day you will truly drift to the old days :)

Cebu

The Queen City of the South shines more than ever with its chic metropolis. Love the lively beat of its everyday rhythm.

Island Garden City of Samal

Of course our neighbor city Samal won’t be left out. There’s so much to explore and do in this place that I can’t get enough that’s why I go back for more.

Bukidnon

I love the manificent landscape of this province. The weather is very cool too. Lots of mountain springs.

Tagaytay

Meet the beautiful Taal Volcano which can be viewed above in the main attractions in Tagaytay. Perfect for a nice vacation.

Leyte

This is a silent place where it hasn’t really bud into its fullest. But it has a unique beauty too and great history. You’ll meet Daddy Douglas Mc Arthur in Palo, Leyte. Went there very early in the morning and dipped my feet in the water around the American Army statues which is 150% the real size of daddy Doug and his army. I was also able to cross the longest bridge in the Philippines which connected Samar and Leyte, the San Juanico Bridge.

Albay

Albay is a silent and quite sad place but what I like about it is the majestic and perfectly shaped Mayon Volcano standing magnificently in vast fields.

Loventure

Tired of the usual flowers and chocolates? Stuffed toys and perfumes? Why try something out of the ordinary? Why not combine love and adventure? If you're thinking of a really great activity in this season of love then you can try our "Loventure". This would be something your beloved will truly remember as this would give him/her a different experience on the day of hearts. As February 14 exactly falls on a Saturday, this is very timely for a weekend love adventure :) Our loventure includes an exhilirating zip line gliding over samal waters and an exciting rappeling on the cliff above sea water. The package also includes witnessing the circadian bats at monfort cave and you will be amazed at their number at about 1.8 million and at how they looked in the evening with just your headlight. It's truly one amazing sight! You can also choose to stay at Maxima, the floating resort and chill the night out at a very romantic moon-canopied setting and say your vows again as you promise each other forever. How romantic! :) You can also request for a setting of dinner for two and a relaxing massage if you would wish so for the total Valentine experience. Visit our website now and make a reservation www.samaladventuretour.com :)

How Do I Find Thee? Inspired by Bo Sanchez :)

Alright it's Valentine's week and I'm quite forced to write about love in here. I would just like to share with you my experience in reading "How To Find Your One True Love" by Bo Sanchez. It's a very practical book I bought myself 3 years ago but I never learned though ;) The title might make you hide it while falling in line at the counter I was ashamed myself too I was thinking it was just mushy and who-needs-looking-for-partner-techniques books it's only shallow! but I've read the reviews and I was intrigue by the contents and so I decided I might really need it. And so it turned out to be a jewel. After reading it, it feels like a pale of cold water was thrown at you and voila! You become a new person. The romantically-inclined-fate-fan-self has gone somewhere else.

One of the things I couldn't forget about the book is the myth on "signs". Not that I'm fan of signs but Bo presented it so candidly and very entertaining :) As to his example, a lady says "Lord, if I get white roses from him tomorrow, he's the one" And it turned out that he really gave her white roses. So, she ask for another sign if she should be married to this man and this time from a bible. She randomly opened it and found a verse on weddings. And so to finalized everything she asked for the last sign to seal it and the sign was also given to her. But she did not look at the real signs. Her boyfriend is handsome and intelligent but can't hold a job for 3 months and has a very hot temper. She never investigated on how he treats his family where this will be the kind of treatment that she will get in the future. She married the guy and ended up a battered wife. Signs maybe good but it needs to be really discerned and backed by strong facts. He says, we do not need supernatural signs but real signs. Check his relationship with God. If he fears and love God then it's a good sign that he can love you also and take good care of you. Check out his maturity and his ability to take on responsibilities. Know his family and observe the kind of family environment he has coz he will most likely bring that kind of culture in your own family, it's called a homing instinct. Check out his friends, don't underestimate the saying "birds of the same feather flock together" because it's very true. Go out on a date that's interactive where it involves activities. In here, you will experience on how he reacts on different situations and that's raw reaction nothing can be hidden from that. These signs are real and very visible, you don't have to pray so hard and even fast just to get a supernatural sign ;)

Another thing he said I couldn't forget is the very myth that "there's a specific one person God has prepared for each of us" it couldn't be true. What if the one he created for me, went to the seminary? Oh no! :) God has created all these guys for us to choose girls. That's why we have free will because we can choose.

The 3rd myth is to pray and wait for him to come. This can't also be true. If you just pray and never exert the effort to present yourself to the market then you cannot be sold just as a product without proper marketing can't be sold on a market. So what if you have marketed yourself greatly, it's just that no enough guys who happen to possess all of your "essentials in a partner"? Well that's my problem too hahaha Well seriously, if this happens, continue to be beautiful inside and out. Make friends but do not consider him a prospect. Meet new people everyday. If you think you've met all the guys in your area and there's no possibility of finding your one true love in there then go away and find your adventure abroad maybe you will find him in your journey ;)

That's all I could share about the book. If I'll write it all here, it will also end up Bo's book rewritten by me.

How Do I Find Thee?

When I try to hide, I can’t escape
You look at me, you see my depths
I feel your soul entwined with mine
So overwhelming yet divine
How do I find thee?

I searched my world
And raked the road
Followed my thoughts
And found more faults
How do I find thee?

I live on reason
And defied my soul
A power like that is not for all
But the spirit inside starts to call
For it knows you since
He planted my heart
A faint memory that has never depart
And so I see I need my core
To lead me to my twin soul

Will You Pack Your Bags For The Philippines?

I read a post in Singapore eFinancial Careers about Singaporeans and people from Hong Kong (http://news.efinancialcareers.sg/formhandler.cfm#viewAllComments) working in finance losing jobs in their country with the ongoing financial crisis to pack their bags for the Philippines. I was somehow realizing that jobs from the west will soon come in the Philippines. In order for the financial institutions in US to save on cost and save their business they will probably operate their business and go on outsourcing from the call center hub Philippines and this time in finance and accounting where business and talent is cheap.

Big financial institutions are hiring financial professionals to work in the country. This may be great for the professionals for our neighbors in Singapore and Hong Kong but also great for the locals who may benefit of the expanding business and greater opportunities. As Filipinos have done good in call center industry there would be no reason that they can't do it in the financial industry. Many Filipino talents are already at par with the rest of the world in the financial industry. The Philippine financial market may not be that complex in bigger and richer countries but given the same set of brains and hard work there can be no reason that Filipinos can't do well in Wall Street.

As for our neighbors whose considering our country, welcome! :) We also have a lot to offer. Salary may be lower in here but luxuries are cheaper and very cheap to live an average life. Philippines is still a work in progress. And with business activity growing and relocating of giant companies in here will surely help to improve Philippines.

The Bubble Story

I once have read something about the bubble story. I can't remember when or who wrote that but all I can remember is that, when a bubble is pressed on one of its side, the other part would enlarge. With that in mind, I was thinking of the world today as a bubble. The financial crunch have weighed down the west part of the bubble makes me wonder if the east part would enlarge?

Thousands of jobs have been lost since the start of the financial crisis. You can read it anywhere. And I've read some articles that some of these "lost jobs" in the west are flying to the east. And they're eyeing for the Philippines. In order to cut cost, giants are going to operate in the Philippines where talents and business operation is cheap. Business activities would soon fuel the economy. Entrepreneurs will have new vision for opportunities. Seems like there is really a bubble story happening right now. Somehow, the crisis have brought blessings to the small players in this big world. Maybe its time for us to take this chance to help ourselves.

Saying I Do (minus the romance)

Getting married is probably one of the most cherished events in a person's life and... the biggest contributor for great changes. And this will never escape from the grasp of finance :)

> Dating (finding the one costs much as you will spend for self maintenance and improvements, activities to meet people and the dates itself)

> Starting out, there's money involved. The wedding itself costs much. And thus you use each other's savings.

> The house --> where should we live honey? (Pooling of resources and of the house mortgage)

> Ulities and groceries (savings because you share)

> Deciding to get credit (you are now jointly liable)

> Salary (pooled into one and assigned to a household treasurer which is usually the wife)

> Decisions (done by both)

> Credit score (may be combined or use the higher credit score of either husband or wife)

> Credit card debts (part of the package. If wife or husband has high debts, marriage finance will be affected as money from both of you will be allocated to pay for such debts.)

> Family car (joint liability)

> Children's education (family's investment)

> Savings (everybody's business inside the household)

> Realization (love is not the only element for happy ever after ;) we marry everything even credit)