Curbside Stories

The heart of the Philippines is Marinduque, The hear-shaped island not only boasts its rich culture but also its stunning beaches with crystal clear waters... for free. It will take you around 5 hours from Manila to reach the port in Lucena, Quezon and from there, another 45 minutes to 1 hour to get to Balanacan Port, Marinduque via ferry boat.  You will be greeted by a huge statue of the Virgin Mary when you reach the port. We arrived at around 10 in the evening and this was a sight to behold. It felt you were being watched to safety. Marinduque is a rather small island with a land area of less than 1 thousand square kilometers that lies between Sibuyan Bay in the South and Tayabas Bay to the North.

The white beach of Bangui Bay in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Click on the photo  for a larger view. Summertime has officially begun in the Philippines and of course a vacation is not complete if you will not spend a day or two in one of the island nation's famous beaches. I was lucky to have the opportunity to take a day off from work and fulfill one task in my bucket list--visit the Ilocos Region. The Ilocos Region is composed of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan provinces situated in the northwestern part of Luzon and is bordered by the South China Sea in the west and Cordillera Administrative Region in the east. This is the beach that greeted us on our first day. The first destination of our Ilocos Tour is Pagudpud, it is 562 kilometers away from Metro Manila or more or less 9 hours non-stop drive but it was all worth it. We left the house at 8 in the evening and arrived at 5 in the morning the next day. We did not have prior hotel reservations but we ...

The view of Mactan Island from our boat. I can't believe I forgot to post my first ever Cebu trip with my sisters! We went there last October 2013. It almost didn't happen because Cebu and Bohol were rocked by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake. We were so scared because of the reports of aftershocks but we can no longer move the date because my younger sister will be back in the US the following week. So we went, with all courage and prayers for guidance and safety.  We stayed in a cheap but decent hotel in Mandaue, it is about 30 to 40 minute taxi drive from Mactan Cebu International Airport. Although there were many public transportations, we opted to ride a taxi for convenience. If I remember it correctly, we paid a little over 6 thousand pesos for two family rooms for three days. Not bad, eh? The Magellan's Cross. Day 1 of our stay started with a tour at the Magellan's Cross in the compound of Basilica del Sto. Nino in Cebu City. There were many tourists ...

Are you planning to have one last summer escapade before the season officially ends? Well, I have discovered a place where you can relax and be a VIP even for a day-- Oasis Hotel and Resort in Capipisa, Tanza, Cavite . The hotel's facade. Shot of the entrance from the lobby. The lounge area near the reception overlooking the pool and beach. The souvenir shop at the first floor near the reception area. The stairs leading to the hotel rooms. Another lounge area in front of the conference halls. The right leads to the bar while the left leads to the restaurant and the pool area. Lounge area in front of the conference halls. Shot from the inside of the hotel going to the pool area. Path leading to the restaurant. The nipa hut at the pool. Giant tortoise guarding the pool. Those are monkeys. Don't worry, they are not real. The mokeys up close guarding the bridge. Panoramic view of the pool area. Click on the ima...

The main fall. Where the water falls is the deepest area of the river. Our team had a photoshoot in Balite Falls Resort. The public resort is located at Brgy. Banay Banay in Amadeo--the Coffee Town of Cavite. It is approximately 1.5 hours drive from Manila. The closest route to the resort is through Cristano M. Delos Reyes Ave. in Brgy. Maggahan, Gen. Trias. If you want to know more about Balite Falls Resort, visit their Facebook page  here . View Larger Map Click on the jump to see more photos.

Honestly, what do you think of this photo? I took this photo earlier this day from a photo shoot for an upcoming advertisement using my iPhone 4S. The photo that will be used for the actual advertisement was shot by a professional photographer. I showed this to him because this is the shot that I want for the advertisement. This photo makes me want to buy a DSLR... Do you think I will have a career in photography?

An old bamboo shoot at the fish pond. I wish I have a macro lens. The grazing cow. That is the old mango tree along the national road. During harvest season, this field becomes filled with hay bales. The chicken coop. I wondered what happened to the chickens. This fish pond. This used to be a rice field. Nets were placed on top of the pond that will serve its purpose during harvest season.

Shortly after the announcement that Obama won the presidency against Romney, this photo garnered 3.5 million likes on Facebook and still counting. It now holds the record as the most liked photo. And here is President Barack Obama's speech...

How would you like to be remembered? Just got home from the cemetery. It is All Saint's Day here and we (all of my relatives) went to the mausoleum of our departed loved ones. Today is a special day because it is the only time of the year that we get to be with all our loved ones, both living and dead, in one place. This is also true with other families as well. I snapped photos of beautiful flowers in the mausoleum and the sunset with some inspirational quotes.

The cottages where you can spend a night or two. This is good for a group of six. I have discovered another place where you can relax and enjoy the long weekend this October... Oyster Forest Life Resort along Sta. Rosa Road, Brgy. Langka, Silang, Cavite. If you are travelling from Tagaytay City, turn left when you see Tagaytay Econo Hotel. It is about 5 to 10 minutes away from the intersection. The resort is actually owned by Oyster Plaza Hotel in Paranaque. The resort's theme is very Filipino. Bamboo cottages surround the pool area so you feel like you are just lounging in your own backyard without the hustle and bustle of the busy streets and stressful workload. They have a restaurant so you don't have to worry where to buy food when you get hungry. They also have a free WiFi connection so that you can update your Facebook or Twitter accounts for your friends to see how good of a time you are having. You will be greeted by these beautiful flowers when you enter t...

"Inspire others to inspire others." What I really like about my job is that I get to go to places relatively known to many. The other day, I was given a task to go to Camp Benjamin in Alfonso, Cavite to have an ocular inspection because the Management is eyeing it for our strategic planning on November. Camp Benjamin is a resort/hotel 23 kilometers away from Trece Martires City where the seat of Cavite Provincial Government is located. The 6-hectare property is nestled among luscious trees and flowering plants. It is actually hard to imagine that you can find surreal beauty and amazingly peaceful facility inside. I will not let you take a peek of the amenities inside Camp Benjamin yet. Instead, I will show you the different flowers in bloom inside the resort/hotel that I labeled with some inspiring words. Enjoy!

I've just gotten home from a seminar and I had the slightest idea that I am in for a surprise. When I entered the bedroom, this is what I saw. My son is fast asleep... rather unusual because he never sleeps unless I am home. But, that is not the surprise... it's those Toy Story stickers on the wall! Our bedroom wall is already filled with his doodles and stick figures and I guess he got tired of looking at them so he decided to add Sheriff Woody and his gang. I took this photo a few days ago. My son is "having the time of his life"... lying on a pile of pillows, hands behind his head, and electric fan on number 2. He is actually watching his favorite DVD to date--Cars 2.  [Photos were taken using iPhone 4S and Instagram filters]