Thursday, December 15, 2011

Batangas - Nasugbu - Kainan sa Dalampasigan


On our way back from our Calatagan trip, we decided to proceed first to Nasugbu town to eat dinner before heading back to Manila. Not wanting to eat in another fast food store and want to try something more local, we went ahead and followed the sign we saw along the road pointing us to "Kainan sa Dalampasigan" restaurant. Unlike it's name though, this restaurant isn't located near any shore so don't expect any seaside views while you eat ^_^.  I've read later on that the restaurant has actually been there for quite a while and many many moons ago has actually been near the shores. It turned out, the town has grown so much that some parts of the shores has been extended as a residential area. 


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Batangas - Calatagan beach resort - Caisip Compound


We have traveled to Calatagan to visit one of oldest Spanish Lighthouses in the Philippines, the Punta de Santiago Lighthouse. We were feeling spontaneous at the time so when we saw the pristine waters from afar, we were really tempted to go for a quick swim and if we can, spend a night in a nearby beach somewhere. We asked Mang Jun, the lighthouse keeper, if he knows a good & affordable place where we could stay. He pointed us out to Caisip compound.  A beach resort not far from the lighthouse and seems to be the "go to" place of the locals.


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Batangas travel: Calatagan Lighthouse


Its geological location allows Batangas to be an efficient receiving port that can cater to hundreds of ships and ferries a day. But, unknown to many, these ferries and ships are constantly being guided to safety by the two light houses built at Batangas by the Spaniards more than one hundred years ago. One, is located at Cape Malabrigo Lobo, Batangas and the other one is located at Cape Santiago in Calatagan, Batangas.

It has been part of my to-do lists to visit lighthouses around the Philippines. I think they are important part of our history and every single one of them should be considered a National Treasure. So one Saturday morning, I woke my husband up and asked him if he wants to go to on a road trip to see a 120 year old lighthouse at Calatagan, Batangas.

Our reward below: The Punta de Santiago lighthouse



Sunday, December 11, 2011

Tagaytay Wedding Venues: Clearwater Resthouse Gardens

Finding the perfect venue to have the wedding reception has been one of the biggest problem for engaged couples eyeing to be wed in Tagaytay. We had the same problem when we were planning our wedding there. So I am sharing some of the reviews and pictures that we took when we had ocular visits during our wedding preps days.

We had our ceremony held at Caleruega Chapel and our reception followed at Clearwater Resthouse Garden. You may check out our wedding pics from my previous post

Let me share our review about the places we've visited and some pictures as well.  Let's start off with Clearwater Resthouse Gardens

Clearwater Resthouse, Tagaytay

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Travel Tagaytay: People's park




Last November, when the rain finally stopped pouring and the humid weather started coming back, my husband and I went for a short drive to Tagaytay to cool off. With no particular place in mind but not wanting to break the bank, we decided to try going up People's park, the highest point of Tagaytay.

People's park sign 2011 with missing letters - Tagaytay, Philippines



Travel Bohol part 5: Vest Pension House - Tagbilaran City


We stayed at Vest Pension house for a night before heading back to Manila. It is located at Tamblot extension at Tagbilaran town proper, the capital of Bohol. We decided to splurge a bit so instead of getting one big room for 5, we decided to book two seperate rooms.

My husband and I got the Deluxe room which is only PHP1,200 (still not considered splurging-- just too affordable). It includes breakfast.

Vest pension house - Tagbilaran, Bohol

Friday, December 9, 2011

Travel Bohol part 4 - Chocolate hills, Butterfly sanctuary, Hanging bridge


What would a visit to Bohol be if you would not see the great Chocolate hills, which was the number one tourist attraction here long before the white sand beaches of Panglao were discovered. Most of the scattered hills are situated at Carmen town which is about an hour and a half away from Panglao. So be prepared for the long drive.

The famous hills are actually protected under Proclamation No. 1037 that took effect on July 1, 1997. The two agencies implementing this act are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS). Furthermore, the House of Representative introduced House bill No. 01147 on July 6, 2004 stating that the hills are considered a National geological monument, penalizing anyone who will cause their destruction and defacement. Good job congressmen! ^_^

Chocolate hills - Bohol, Philippines


Travel Bohol part 3 - Baclayon Church, Tarsier, Loboc river


Our Bohol tour was arranged by my sister through our resort. Itinerary for the whole morning comprises of visiting Baclayon Church, it's museum, looking at big-eyed tarsiers and enjoying a sumptuos lunch at Loboc river. 

bell tower of Baclayon church

Travel Bohol part 2 - Dumaluan Bohol beach hotel resort, Panglao Island


Dumaluan beach resort is actually right beside Bohol beach club, it is located in Panglao Island, about 30 minutes from the port and main Bohol island.
It's one of the most recommended places to stay in when you are in Bohol and if you are after the white fine sand beach that Panglao Island offers. The beach hotel resort actually have a newer and much improved hotel buildings and has extended their amenities from cottages to pingpong tables and kayaks but seeing we're on a tight budget, we opted to get the quadruple sharing room (2 queen size bed with private toilet and bath) in the older guest rooms they rent out. It is also best to arrange a pick up transport service from the port. If you're travelling in a group, it will be much convenient and cheaper. 

parking slot outside the port reserved for Dumaluan

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Travel Bohol part 1 - leaving Cebu (Supercat adventure)


Bohol is a mere one and a half hours away from Cebu by ferry. Supercat  offers daily trips from Cebu port to Tagbilaran.  You may check their website for the schedules. We bought our tickets in Cebu a day before, if you're traveling on a December, make sure to book early to avoid waiting in lines. They have a ticketing office at Robinson's mall Cebu. 

my nephew watching the passing ship at the port

Travel Cebu: Fort San Pedro and the Dried squid

Fort San Pedro is a miniature Intramuros. Having spent my college years within the Intramuros walls, visiting this fort seems a bit ordinary to me. But, I always want to bring back good memories whenever I visit a new place so I do what is available to do at the time and that is to ------- people watch. Not to make fun of someone but to have a feel of what the people are like especially if I don't know anybody from that place. 

Plus to think that we've been walking all day, being able to sit back and relax is a big yes for me (my nephew totally agrees). The best thing about places like this is that you can easily slump anywhere and nobody will bother you. Just like the man with a balloon on the photo below.



Travel Cebu: Cebu R hotel, Sto. Nino church

 Cebu, is one of the many islands in the Philippine archipelago worth visiting for its rich history, unique traditions and its famous festivals. It is situated in the Central Visayas region and known today as an export leader when it comes to quality-made furniture.

A little history: 
When the Spaniards set foot in this island in 1521, free trading with neighboring countries such as China, Burma, Malaysia, and as far as Japan was already being practiced in the island . It already has a structured and organized government with communities or "balangays"  (now called barangays) which mostly comprises of about 60 to 100 households being headed by the "Datus" (chieftain). The "Datu" is in charge of everything from resolving disputes in their respective "balangay"  or  leading them onto battles if needed. 

The most popular known chieftain in the whole Philippines actually came from Mactan, Cebu - Lapu-Lapu. He became popular for killing the Spaniard Ferdinand Magellan when he went onshore this small island.  He was hailed a hero, the first Filipino to deter the Spanish Conquerors.
And, in his honor, one of the 4 cities of Cebu was named after him - Lapu Lapu City. 

We boarded the Cebu-Pacific plane and landed at Mactan Airport a little past noon, hailed a cab and headed off to check-in at Cebu R hotel.  Our accommodation for the night.





Travel Cebu: Colon Street, Ancestral Houses, Heritage of Cebu monument


A walk in Colon Street is a must for Cebu visitors. Being the oldest street in the Philippines, it was such a bonus for a historic buff like me to be able to do so when I was in Cebu. Another good thing when you are near this area is you can also visit the Heritage of Cebu monument or locally known as Parian monument. 
This monument showcases the whole history of Cebu; the influence of Christianity, the battles between the natives and foreigners and the continuous sought of true freedom and justice. The gate is actually locked when we first got in but the caretaker opened it up for us so we can take more pictures. There is no entrance fee but anyone can donate to help upkeep the place. 



Thursday, October 20, 2011

Please Help: Little Mark Salazar


Brave Little Mark Salazar

With nothing to waste but time, my usual "facebook lurking" stumbled upon a picture of a child named Mark Salazar and shared with it is a link about his story. 

Only 1 year and 8 months old, he was unfortunately diagnosed with Biliary Cirrhosis when he was just at his 7 months. The youngest child of Dennis V. Salazar and Maritess B. Salazar from Sampaloc, Manila. He was in and out of PGH and UST hospitals since his 1st birthday. Due to his congenital problem, the common cough and cold progresses to pnuemonia. His young body is susceptible to complications and infections, and has suffered from measles, diarrhea and sepsis.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Travel Asia: Winter in Beijing, China Part 6 (Great Wall of China)


"He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man" - Mao Zedong

Despite the cold weather and heavy snow, we're finally off to pursue one of my long time dream -- to climb the Great Wall, the symbol of Chinese ingenuity, enlisted as a UNESCO Heritage site in 1988 and also considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World in July  of 2007. It was set to fortify the borders of China against Northern nomadic tribes.

The closest gateway to the Great Wall is the Badaling gate which is situated in Yanqing County, around 70 kilometers from Beijing Central. The Badaling great wall is strategically reinforced a lot of times during the Ming Dynasty to defend the capital against Mongolian intruders. Standing in it actually made me feel like I'm Mulan. LOL :)

Me and the Great Wall

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Travel Asia: Winter in Beijing, China Part 5 (The Summer Palace)

Oh Summer Palace! This is one place that I felt we could have explored more, said to be the largest and best preserved Imperial garden in China and was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1990. It was meant to be, as the name implies -- the Summer vacation home of the emperor or empress during ancient times.

The dominant structure here is the Yu Feng Pagoda that is set on top of a hilly ground facing Kunming lake, the lake itself was actually extended in 1750 by the Emperor QianLong to imitate the famous West Lake in HangZhou. 

As an extensive traveler, the Emperor took notes of every beautiful places he's been in China and incorporated it in the construction of Summer Palace.

view of the Yu Feng Pagoda over a courtyard

Travel Asia: Winter in Beijing, China Part 4 - (Where to eat)


When it comes to food, Beijing surprisingly felt like heaven to me, It's just like eating at Northpark every single day (Northpark is a famous Chinese restaurant in the Philippines) and being the rice lovers that we are, we were not disappointed with the many food viands that are really similar to Filipino dishes so we really felt at home. The price though might be a little expensive than Northpark especially if you're eating at those chinese restaurants or mini "turo-turo" near your hotels so sometimes, it's more practical to just grab a bite at Subway or Mcdonalds or at a food court if you're tight on budget. Or just buy some food from the many convenience stores in the area and stack some food in your hotel room for those midnight cravings like we did.



Travel Asia: Winter in Beijing, China Part 3 - Temple of Heaven

Another tourist attraction worth seeing is the Temple of heaven, another UNESCO world cultural site, which is, (could you believe) much bigger than the Forbidden City and a little smaller than the Summer Palace. The temple was built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to the heavens for good harvest.  Like the many tourist spots in Beijing, it has an entrance fee (around CNY 20). Tip: Ask for a free map.


To get there: Travel via Subway Line 5 and get off at Tiantan Dongmen Station, leave from Exit A and you'll find the East Gate of the Park of  the Temple.

Imperial Vault of Heaven

Travel Asia: Winter in Beijing, China Part 2 - Forbidden City, Jingshan park, Belhai park


Another way to see the glory of the forbidden city is through Jingshan park which was originally a part of the Forbidden city until the 1900s but, when a road was put up, it was cut off from the city's Northern gate. It's a bit of a climb just like in Namsam Tower (if you've been in South Korea) but the view of the city from the top is all worth it. There's also a makeshift photobooth on top where you can get dressed up as an Empress or Emperor and have your picture taken and you can get a printed copy -- a worthwhile souvenir (hehe). My husband and I have one and it's now one of the best picture we have together. :)

view of Forbidden city from the top


Monday, October 3, 2011

Rooms and Inspirations


As I said in my previous post, there are many sites that offers inspiration for homeowners. Me and my husband have used several of this sites to come up with our own versions of them and have applied them to our home. Don't expect too much though, our home is just average compared to those you see from the mentioned sites so consider ours a super uber miniature versions only. lol :)


Our Kitchen

Our actual kitchen has come about as a bit of a disaster during construction, but, I am a firm believer that someday, we will have enough budget to get the traditional look that we were going for or something better for the heart of our home. Pardon the dishes in the sink, it was a busy day when I took this picture. :)



Sunday, October 2, 2011

Inspirational websites for homeowners

             There are two things that helps builds a house; one is a very reliable, experienced and trustworthy general contractor with very skilled people under them and the second is a great design that would give them an idea of what you want to achieve in your home (inside and out). You can hire an architect to help you with the layout or house plan design or maybe an interior designer for decorating (which is usually a good choice). But if you don't have the budget to pay the professionals (like we do); know that it is plausible to do the design yourself. There are several sites in the internet that you can find helpful in getting the design and look you want for your houses. Here are some of the sites that have helped me in our journey to being homeowners.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Home Sweetest Home: The making

         It has been a roller coaster ride these past four months, more often, it's because of the disappointments, stress and then more stress that we experienced from our general contractor Marlon T. San Andres of Silang, Cavite. As I've written before, this person keeps promising that he will finished our house at a certain date but have repeatedly failed to do so. Aside from that, when we moved in, we have no sink in our kitchen, the kitchen island needed to be redone, the paint are literally melting away (this made the walls look like it's bleeding) and the gate leading to the carport has not been finished yet. And, the worst part is I've been called "masungit" (snob) and has been dubbed "demanding" just because I am very assertive on what we want to be done in our house and how it should looked like. Helllloooooo! It is hard-earned money people! 
                Just to point out, I don't bad-mouth people and I have been giving this person so many chances already but, I felt he did not learned his lesson and he'll keep doing this to other working middle class people such as myself, motivated by this, I know I have to / need to tell people our story. I've also shared this to my femalenetwork sisters and hopefully someone out there will be spared from the nightmare that we've gone through. Here's the link to the story that I posted in female network.

              I have also attached pictures of our home as the work progressed. In the beginning, (I sound like the bible now) everything was really good, the general contractor was easy to talk to that time and since he was highly recommended by the property manager of Camella homes in our village we were very confident that he will get the job done. It never occurred to us that this 1.5 month project will be dragged on for more than 4 months. Worst, we still have a lot of rework to do and a lot of fixing because of poor workmanship on their part.

             While our general contractor put up the walls for the extended kitchen, we had an independent contractor install narra wood parquet on the second floor of the house to save time. We have them done by Parquetitza, from Marikina City, they have a facebook account where they showcase their work - Kindly click here. They finished it within the agreed deadline (lead time of three days) which made hubby and I very happy.






               Meanwhile, my hubby and I, started going out canvassing and buying granite tiles for the first floor, tiles for the laundry area, kitchen fixtures and sink as well as the cook top that we sat on the first floor bathroom of the house while we wait for them to finish the jobs on the kitchen. We also bought the oven already because Marlon said he needed the measurements so he can finish the kitchen island. We picked up the sink and kitchen fixtures at Home depot alabang, while the cooktop and oven were picked up at good ole Ansons in Makati while our good friends from the Floor Center in Buendia Edsa delivered the tile materials on time - we were happy with the tiles and their service. The tiles below are just some of the pics we took when canvassing.





the actual delivered tiles

delivered by Floor Center

Our oven that sat in our 2nd floor for 4 months


Here are the pictures we took on the first month of the project (during this time, our gen contractor is still in a "good" mood ). 











the kitchen (1st month)

door leading to laundry area

the kitchen island

floor tiling - which we have redone because they installed it incorrectly


making the ceiling - notice the sparkling things on the ceiling, those are actually droplets of water because they did not waterproof the slab but started working on the inside of the house. 


the kitchen island

the kitchen who is flooded with water because of the leaks above


Another reworked done - even though we bought the oven in the earliest time possible, the poor oven did not fit in this island and in turn have to be redone also 

water dripping on the walls because they did not waterproof the slab above

my husband inspecting the uneven floor


laundry area

the mini patio

When June came, no one is doing any work on the house even if it's a good day. We had 2 storms that month but nevertheless, there is still a lot of things to correct and do inside the house that could have been done but was neglected. There are still no paint on the walls, unfinished floor, unfinished laundry area and uninstalled sliding doors, no gate and grills on the side, not to mention there are no kitchen cabinets yet and the built in closet upstairs was not yet done too.

This was also the time that the ceiling was supposed to be done and the lighting fixtures installed too. We already met with him prior to discus the light design we've come up with and even provided him a drawn plan (same goes for the closet). But, as I found out later from his people, he was trying to cutback on the material cost of the electric wires because it was expensive hence, he wanted a different plan from what we agreed on. I am starting to have doubts at this time but pushed it aside and tried to be upfront about the concerns that we have -- about the timeline not being met, the wrong design of the ceiling and lights, explaining to him the tons of works that needed to be done and the effect of the days and days of not having anybody around to work on our home. He just nodded and said that there are only a few more work that will be done in our home and he can do them on time. 

As a precaution, we were visiting the site unannounced  to make sure somebody is working in our home and reminding him of the timeline and what needs to be done in the house via text.We also needed to bug him just to have those sliding glasses installed that month so we can have those big holes on the side of the house closed to avoid thieves. Overall, on the month of June - the only thing that got done was the installation of sliding doors that he had one of his suppliers did and partial work on the kitchen cabinet (1 person did this).











By July, we were hoping that things will turn around and speed up but the reality sets in and we see less and less of Marlon and his team. During this month, my husband and I are so stressed out because the contract in our condominium is about to expire and the house is still unlivable - the only option that was left for us to do was to ask for a one month extension - an unecessary cost on our part. 

Here is the condition of the house on July for 3 weeks.

the water stains on the walls

water stain on the ceiling

Partially primed wall

water on the floor seeping from the ground

Flooding under the sink


Water dripping down the semi painted wall

the laundry area still has no tiles

the uneven kitchen island

We had the upstairs double wall removed to make room for the built in closet.









Problems we encountered on June and July - water flooding the floor, walls and ceiling





          I knew I needed to be firm so that we will be taken seriously and if we needed this to be done, tough love is a must. So I confronted him about the same old problems about the leaks, the unfinished jobs and the delays. We both know for sure that he will not (again meet the deadline by end of July).

On the last week of July, I started to be the "OC" that I am and started telling him the problems and asked him to prioritize waterproofing the walls and the slab to get the ceiling done and the lights installed. He sent 2 people to the site to work on the slab plus the electrician, Kim. The carpenter comes and goes because he only has one that works on all projects.

waterproof finally put in

another view of the waterproofed slab

Good thing, the electrician was able to re-wire the ceiling and install the kitchen lights in our home in a giffy. He also helped finished the slab and seal the leaks on the walls around the extension. Kim actually did more than what is expected but I later found out that he got fired by Marlon. Marlon said that he got feedback that he was asking for money from other homeowners from his other projects. Well, I can't really say if that's true because I wasn't able to talk to Kim after that (although he did not ask me money) but I felt bad not having him around because he was really efficient and skilled :(


Our electrician Kim installing the under cabinet lights in our kitchen


rewiring the ceiling

me coordinating with Kim, the electrician, about the design

final rewiring of the ceiling 
Let there be Light!

Aside from the electrician - the two other people worked on tiling the laundry area and plastering the corner posts (which they were supposed to seal right after they've put up the walls)

Corner posts

Laundry tiles

Finally, we were able to install the lighting fixtures that we bought weeks ago and the carpenter was able to put up the rangehood wood cover.

Lighting fixtures installation

THREE DAYS BEFORE THE DEADLINE, JULY 30, after flooding marlon text messages, updating him of what has been done and what needs to be done, many sleepless nights and anxiety attacks, here he comes, as expected, with a whole pack of people with him, showing up to do the carport, built in cabinets and some were tiling the patio and doing some painting on the ceiling (which could have been done months ago!). And  as expected (again), he made a pass on me about getting some more cash but, knowing better this time, I denied him of it and told him that he only have three days to finish it off after that he can have his final payment which really pissed him off (it's written all over his face! - Lol!).

Below are the pictures of the work they did during that 3 days.

installing drainage and carport
tiling the patio

Mark, his carpenter, doing the frame for the built in closet


During this time, to be productive ourselves, my husband and I canvassed for a screen door supplier, picked a design and have it installed the next day. 

main screen door
Since I denied him a cash advance, this is the time he texted my husband that he really needed the money to finish the project off. Little did he know that (unlike him) me and my husband are honest and open about everything to each other so we discussed the pros and cons of what to do and agreed to ask him how much time does he need more because we know he will not finish on July 30 (original deadline). He said he needed another two weeks. We also asked how much will he need so he can finish the house and he said 35K. At this time, we were really hesitant. But we wanted to give the guy another chance so we did.

To our dismay, just as he did in the past, right after he got the money, only 1 person was left to do work on the house. The kitchen was still unfinished, the floor ungrouted, walls are not yet fixed, the ceiling unpainted and the exhaust fans for the bathroom and rangehood has not been done yet and there was another leak discovered that flooded the kitchen again.





By August, Marlon keeps singing the same old song and me and my husband are really tired and burnt out at this time. Two weeks have gone by (the time extension that we gave him) and we did not hear anything from him, no text telling us he will not be able to finish the house in two weeks. How could he? he only sent 1 person to our home to do some painting. And, whenever we text him, he doesn't respond to us nor meet us. And, the same modus operandi goes again, a day or two before August 30, he came rushing with people and started rushing the work which worsen the situation, I know he was eager to finish to get the final payment off of us.

When August 30 came, he wasn't able to finish the house. We moved in with an unfinished kitchen, no kitchen sink and fixtures, no gate and grills (unsafe for us), worst paint job on kitchen walls, cabinets and closets, chipped walls and mistakenly measured kitchen island because apparently, the 4-month oven that was sitting in the 2nd floor of our home will not fit in. 

All in all, we have spend another two weeks with people coming in and out of our home to do rework and "fix-ups" (which they can't fix) before I gave up and had enough and decided to just sent them away. I mean,  we want to move forward, and there are just things that can't be undone and can't be fixed with lacquer paint or sandpaper.

 I know, even if we have gone through what we've gone through, it was still a good experience for me and my husband because we stuck through it and learned to adjust and adapt. Our house is far from being nearly done. It's at least livable now but the damage that some of the work done to our home are really irreversible and its something that we just need to learn how to live with. The lessons I got on how it is to make a house is priceless. Hopefully, next time, we'll know better and not be so trusting of people.