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The Rodney Dangerfield of the Philippines — Can’t Get No Respect

August 21, 2010 By Philly 3 Comments

Heard it again just the other day and wondered, yet again, what is it so many of these folks have heard?  A fellow was asking me some advice about a business idea and listing of some of the cites around the Philippines he had thought through where he might sell his product, and true to form for so many folks in the “Philippines wanna be ” community, he end his list with the comment, “of course I’m sure it would sell in Angeles City, but I don’t know if I can deal with the crime and the prostitutes there.”  I mean I could almost picture this fellow spitting in disgust at the end of his statement.

A while back, in a totally different matter, another online friend wrote about a foreigner he knew who had suffered a misfortune or two, and he ended the account of his fellow expat’s hard times by saying, “Of course I can’t help him because he’s chosen to live up there in Angles City, next to all the whorehouses.”

Does this look like a whorehouse to you? Fully furnished house for sale, Angeles Selling for about $65,000 USD.  Or this townhouse?  $334/month Furnished 2 Bedroom Apartment Fully furnished at $334 USD per month?  These are just a couple samples I pulled at random from current listings in Angles.

You know one of the things I have noticed is, in many cities in the Philippines you can’t even find listings of homes for sale or rent.  It’s as if you have to be a member of some private club just to find houses for sale or rent. 

In Angeles City this certainly isn’t the case.  Just take a look at this Blue-Book publication (you can download their current issue in .pdf format) and see some of the flavor of what’s available to expats in Angeles City.  there isn’t another city in the Philippines that even has such a publication, let alone some of the services offered in Angeles.

There are many, very “livable” older subdivision homes for sale or rent too.  One unique feature found in no other city I know of is that many of the rental homes on the market today are in subdivisions that were built back in the US Air Force days and the homes had to be very “Americanized” in order to be approved for servicemen’s off base quarters. 

Angeles City is a medical education center for the Philippines.  There are dozens of hospitals including a couple well regarded teaching hospitals.

There are two major shopping hubs .. one of the larger SM malls and a huge new Ayala property called Marquis Mall.

And restaurants and food stores with products and cuisine from all over the world?  Oh yes, you bet.  Exploring the different restaurants in Angles can be an experience all on its own.

And a real jewel in the crown of Angeles City is the airport.  If you’ve ever been through NAIA airport in Manila, you know one of the chief reasons many visitors to the Philippines never make a second visit.  For an international airport serving the capital city of a whole country, NAIA … well, let’s just say it leaves a bit to be desired, shall we?

Clark, Angeles City’s airport is a full-fledged international airport with service to domestic destinations and a dozen or so international cities.  And it’s clean, modern, spacious and fully “no hassle”.  I highly recommend it, in fact one can often get a good travel deal from the US by looking for a discount flight into Hong Kong and then continuing on to Clark via PAL or Cebu Pacific.  A worthy asset.

Now before you get the idea I am ‘selling” Angeles City (I’m not, I don’t even live there), let me assure you I am not selling anything here.  (If I were, I’d be selling Subic, just a few miles down the brand new, international standard SCTEX toll road ;-) )

But what I get a bit upset about is, the massive amounts of information that circulate about living in the Philippines on line.  And the way certain places get reputations they don’t deserve, just from a certain group who know nothing at all themselves, but spend their life repeating all the hearsay they have heard and passing it on as if they had actually seen things for themselves.  You may not always get the information from me that makes you say, “yes, yes, he’s right, that’s what so-and so-said”, but what you will get from me is honest personal opinion, and if I haven’t had first-hand knowledge, I’ll tell you so.”

Would Angles City be the right place for you to settle in the Philippines?  Maybe yes, maybe no, but for goodness sake, base your decision making on fact rather than fiction … for your own peace of mind, OK?

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More Subic Destinations — Johan’s Resort

August 7, 2010 By Philly 3 Comments

Last week the UnofficialCook and i went to Subic to have lunch with friends and then to attend one of the regular mixers put on by the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (thanks for inviting us, Susan), held at Johan’s Beach and Dive Resort.  Now immediately many readers are going to say, why would Philly be going to a Chamber of Commerce affair?  is he planning on “putting up a business” as we so often say here in the Philippines?

Nope.  I’m retired and plan to stay that way so far as the Philippines is concerned.  Of course I do have a business .. I make a nice little monthly income through a number of on-line ventures, and unlike a J*O*B which so many of you seem to be enamored of, I can turn the wick up higher, or turn it down and let it simmer as desired. I can’t be fired and I report to no bosses (and since 100% of my income comes from outside the Philippines, I only pay the taxes I need to pay to the US).

But just because I am not a Philippine business person doesn’t mean I am not vitally interested in Philippine business … and unlike so many of my fellow expats who seem to have one nasty misadventure after another with Philippine business, I find that getting to know Filipino business people not only expands my horizons, but makes the way through life here go ever so much smoother.  I’m often quite “put off” by the way fellow expats try to make the adventure of living in the Philippines an “us” versus ‘them” affair.  I find the more Filipino friends I meet, the better life goes here.

Two very interesting folks I met were Carlo Zialcita, office chief for the Clark-Subic Satellite office of the Philippine Retirement Authority, the folks who bring us the excellent, but widely misunderstood SRRV (Special Resident Retirement Program).  I had no idea the PRA had so many office and ‘real people’ on the ground in support of the program.  A very interesting statistic Carlo shared with me was the demographics of the visa program.  Being a typical American, even though I advise people not to fall into this trap, I did and I assumed the USA and then probably the UK and some other European nations would be in the lead for new visa holders.  ha.  Not so much.  Chinese, Korean, Japanese and then the USA in a distant fourth place.  Seems like (my opinion only, of course) a lot of other nations are much smarter at realizing a good deal when they see it.  Interesting.  You can always call Carlo to learn more, his office is 047-224-1471 (to call from overseas, dial your country’s IDD code (011 in the US) and then 6347-224-1471).

Met many more friendly and interesting folks there as well … including some fellow foreigners living in the Philippines on the SRRV and enjoying it as well as a fascinating lady from Australia who lives here with her husband on a very rare breed of residency … a Quota Visa … something that seems to be a very well protected secret.  Hope she comes by and emails so we can get in touch and find out more info on this aspect of living in the Philippines.

view from the beach at Johan's beach and dive resortBut wait.  I started out writing this article to talk about Johan’s Beach and Dive Resort where the mixer was held, and I haven’t even mentioned it yet.  Typical of me, off on a tangent.

You’ve heard me mention before there are a lot of good places to dine, stay and to have fun around Subic.  Johan’s is certainly very high on that list.  Located on Baloy Beach off the National Highway right at the border between barrio Barrette, Onlongapo City and Subic Town, Zambales. Johan’s is a small (physically) hotel, bar, restaurant, PADI-certified dive school and general all ‘round activity center that will take more than one visit to explore thoroughly.  Johan’s is a lot bigger than it looks!

One thing the have I already know about which is pretty unique to the Philippines … suppose you wanted to fly all the way to the beach of your resort?  No hours on a bus fighting traffic to cross the plains of Luzon .. just get on a plane and get dropped off on Johan’s beach.  You know me and airplanes.  That is not me flying the seaplane, but someday, you never know …

The parts of Johan’s I did have a chance to sample were just great.  Since we were attending the SBFCC Mixer we decided to try the rooms at Johan’s .. why drive later after the party?

Room at Johan's beach resort We made reservations for one of the most basic of rooms … we did, however spring for the upgrade of air-conditioning, looked pretty much like the picture, and for only P1000 per night the room was highly satisfactory.  Remember, this is a beach resort, not a five star hotel, but it was clean, comfortable and had all advertised and required amenities and then some.

But when you are staying at a place with as many activities as Johan’s offers, the room is really secondary … just a place to rest after you have eaten and drunk your fill in Johan’s outstanding Johan's dining Philippines restaurant and bar facilities.  Wow.  Talk about a hidden gem.  I bet I have driven past Johan’s (a block away on the National Highway) at least a couple hundred times already .. some of those time, hungry ;-) .  How I wish I had stopped before.

Johan, who has been in the tourist-pleasing business in the Philippines for more than 25 years now, is a European-trained chef … and it shows.

The first time the Cook and I sat at one of the restaurant tables I was puzzled by what looked like a loose-leaf binder book the wait staffers seemed to be carrying.  Then our waitress handed me one. It was the menu!

I haven’t seen a menu that extensive in years … specialties from all over the world.  And beer?  More than 50 specialty brands, from Johan’s native Belgium all across Europe and the rest of the world as well.  No place else in the Philippines comes close.  And open 124-7 as well?  How convenient is that.  I liked it.

For the catered mixer Johan and staff served up a very large buffet … food from all over the world, including more ways to prepare and season oysters and mussels than I can remember.  Breakfast the next day was very nice too … the Cook and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay and very much appreciated Johan’s individual attention and conversation.  We’ll be back.  Recommended.

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Where Have I Been Lately? Casablanca Hotel Subic

August 4, 2010 By Philly 12 Comments

A week ago on Monday the Unofficial Cook and I took had a lovely lunch with my good friend Paul and his lovely wife Mayang at the Casablanca Hotel inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ – Formerly the US Navy Subic base) .  You’ve heard me mention Subic many times before, and it’s pretty likely you’ll hear me mention both the SBFZ and the surrounding area of Olongapo City and Subic town.

Why?  Because I go there often, and I like the place.

Why? Because people are friendly there, businesses are well organized to serve the visitor, roads are maintained and not clogged with tricycles (people even stop at stop signs … go see for yourself) and I love being able to be so close to the sea.  And we both love to eat, and there are a number of places in the Subic Bay area who will not disappoint on that score.

But on this trip I have to say we found a gem that does a whole lot better than “not disappoint”.  The facility is immaculate,with plenty of paved parking easily accessible, right out in front. Inside it is easy to see the owner used nothing but the best in building materials and techniques.

In addition to standard hotel rooms (and as you can see from the graphic, the “standard” room at Casablanca would be a “superior” or higher at most Philippine hotels, the hotel also offers 1 and two bedroom condo style units for rent at nightly, weekly, monthly, or even longer-term rates if you ask the management.

People often ask me for recommendations for places to stay for a few weeks or a few months in the Philippines, so they can have a base of operations and not have to put up with the expense and inconvenience of a regular hotel room.

Casablanca Hotel and Restaraunt, Subic

Short and medium term rentals are hard to find … and many that are available are … well to put it frankly, crap.  The Casablanca has great deals and their property is immaculate .. I inspected a one bedroom unit, and not only is it clean, very comfortably furnished, and well off-street and away from traffic … it is about twice the size of a comparable unit in top of the line Makati condos .. places that sell in the 6 to 8 million Pesos range and that rent for $2000USD per month and up. 

And instead of living in the city, you are on the shores of Subic Bay, with no peddlers, smoky tricycles, hookers and all the other “street life” you will find in big cities.  Philly rates this establishment a true bargain, especially at current off-peak “Rainy Day” rates. Recommended.

(and for those of you not too familiar with our Central Luzon “rainy season”, it’s not all as rainy as you might think.  Showers most afternoons, a few heavy rains often at night, and temperatures usually substantially cooler than the hotter months earlier in the year.  It seldom means days of rain where you are cooped up inside, but you might have to dodge a shower or two as you go about your daily fun activities.)

Casabalanc Hotel, Subic room rates 2010 Now as I mentioned, the reason I went to Casablanca was a lunch engagement with my fellow blogger, Paul.  He claimed that a place he knew on Subic served Philly Cheese steak sandwiches as good as they serve in Philadelphia.  Having been to South Philly myself for the “real thing”, and using the nickname “Philly” as well, I just had to call Paul on this … and the only way to know if Paul knew what he was talking about would be to put the sandwiches to the test …so we did, meeting for lunch at 8 bells on the forenoon watch at Casablanca.

The menu there is not huge, but it’s broad enough to suit most anyone’s taste … and yes, the Philly Cheese steak could easily pass for the “real thing” from South Philly … although without the dripping oil and mess … at my age, I don’t need the fat anyway.  Pleasantly absent were the all so common Filipino beef gristle, globs of fat and murderous little bone chips.  An excellent sandwich.

The rest of the menu items all seemed equal or better quality and the staff gives prompt, attentive and pleasant service.  Very reasonable prices as well.  Again, Recommended.

And it’s safe to say one of the highlights of the visit was the personal care and attention of the establishment’s GM, Kristian Nielsen.  Kristian gave us personal attention every step of the way, proudly showed off the rooms and the pool (with swim-up bar, how kewl is that?), and answered tons of questions about the facilities.  He’s the kind of guy who instead of trying to just “sell you a room” sat with us and asked who would be attending a planned family trip, deciding if two single rooms would best accommodate our group, or the one bedroom condo offering, and then showed us everything to make sure we knew what we might be booking.  So different to the average hotel experience where it is expected you know what you want, you’re asked to make a snap decision between room choices, and if there was something that would have suited your group better, you will never know … as long as they have your dough.

Thank you, Kristian for the service, for the great training and leadership you give the staff and for a very enjoyable conversation with our meal … we’ll be back for sure.

  Thanks to all of you who took the time to remind me that I didn’t make the room rates easy to find.  Fixed that.  Also, when I published the article earlier, I noted that the Casablanca’s main web page had one of those “talk to us now by instant chat” buttons, (which often prove worthless).  I pressed it and got an answer in 45 seconds.  Great communication.  Other hotels who want to learn how to make money in the Philippines will do well to copy some of the ways the Casablanca staff tries to be accessible to their clients.

Another item I probably should have mentioned.  This hotel is on the waterfront side of Argonaut Highway, very near the Tipo gate of Subic, but it is not “beachfront”. There is no beach directly accessible from the hotel property.  There are excellent white sandy public beaches in easy driving or shuttle bus range … just didn’t want to make it sound as if it were directly on the beach.

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What Did You Do Last Friday?

July 3, 2010 By Philly Leave a Comment

Yes I know, I know, haven’t been posting much here. 

What do you do all day in the Philippines, Dave?

Well here’s what I did Friday.  (note, the video is not me, I didn’t have a video cam of a videographer along for the ride, but this one will do admirably …very much the same as my flight) I didn’t make such a precise approach, was a littitle high and hot (fast) …or so I thought   … had I been solo I would have gone around for another try, but my instructor said, no problem, just push the nose down .. good way to bust the nose gear off a Cessna, but out faithful, buzzy little Quicksilver just settled in a few hundred feet farther down the runway than this chap landed and I did even need any brakes.

image First flight handing the controls in thirty years or more,image and it was a real hoot.  I enjoyed it a lot.   Would I do it again?  You bet.  next time I think I’ll try a different aircraft, this one comes highly recommended.

The boys (my nephews, Mazen and Sami) were along for the day of course.  They were much more excited by the pool than by their tito (uncle) going flying … they stayed in the water until their skin looked like dried prunes and still didn’t want to come out … tey had to be bribed with their favorite green V-Cut potato chips and C2 ice tea.

As usual the food and drinks were good and quite reasonably priced, I like the act that the club doesn’t try to ‘stick it to” visitors just because it’s a “touristy” kind of place and they well out in the bundocks.

(If you watch the video, I suggest you just turn your speakers off, there is nothing on the sound track except the very buszzy little engine (we wear noise cancelling headsets when flying, so the noise isn’t an issue.)

In case you want to visit the club:  (all are welcome, no pressure to be a member, admission fees or any of that kind of stuff )

ACFC at image

Woodland Airpark Talimundok, Sta. Maria Magalang, Pampanga Philippines

LAT: 15′ 15′ 02" N LONG: 120′ 40′ 39" E ELEV: 100 Ft.

E-mail: office@AngelesFlying.com

Land Line   : +63 45 802-2101

VHF Radio: 131.35 MHz

Webmaster e-mail: webmaster@angelesflying.com

Operating hours

Monday – Tuesday 0800 – 1700 Local
Wednesday – Closed
Thursday – Sunday 0800 – 1700 Local

And just in case my “do it now” urgings have made you decide to make the decision and you want insider info that can save you real money how you could still afford to fly you might be interesting in this:

"If you are planning a vacation, wish you could visit distant family or just want to see the world then this guide is for you.

Written by a former airline professional, it gives you all the essentials on how to get Extremely Cheap Flights , tell you the scams to avoid and reveal all of the biggest money saving and confidential insider secrets the airlines have threatened me to keep silent about…"

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Philippines Flying

June 1, 2010 By Philly 6 Comments

I must seem to some of you on the outside looking in that my like here in the Philippines is nothing but tax issues, making money online, government office issues, retirement panning, Social Security dealings and that old bugaboo everyone loves to talk about … health insurance. ABS.SDM.May27 Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth. Here’s tow of the things I spend a lot of my time with … my nephews, Sami (on the left) and Mazen. Yesterday (Monday) dawned cloudy and undecided about promising rain or sunshine, so I made a command decision to bundle the boys (and Mita and the boys mom and Mita’s dad) into the car and head up north, east of Angeles City, to check out a place I had hard about for years but never visited … the Angeles City Flying Club.image Flying Club? Yep, famous around the world for their international ultra light aircraft activities. I’ve seen club members from time to time flying demonstrations at various shows and events and I wanted to see just what was there at their site at the foot of Mount Arrayat, aside from a neatly trimmed grass runway (like the one I earned my pilot’s license on, lo those many years ago). Well, it turns out there is a LOT more than a runway there. A compete ‘fixed base operation” (FBO) as we’d call it in the US. Aircraft for rent, fuel, repairs, flight instructors and a complete flight training program, hangar space if you want to store your own aircraft and much more important to the boys … a complete little cafe with a view overlooking the runway and all the flying activity, overnight room for guests who want to come by and spend a few days dying, and a great kid and adult and bahay kubo complex. The boys loved their lunch … lots of German imagedelicacies as well as American and Filipino favorites (pleasant, friendly staff and very economical pricing .. the exact opposite of the food facilities at most tourist destinations), butimage they really liked going swimming in the afternoon. We stopped by just to see what it was all about and wound up spending three plus fun-filled couple hours there … a great place to visit. (Oh, and memo to other tourist destinations … the restrooms have toilets that flush with a handle, not a bucket, seats on the toilets!, a bidet WITH SOAP and even hand towels (real, made from cloth) at the sinks … an exceptional Philippine find, believe me) If you want to learn more about the club or want to get the low-down on ultra light aviation in the Philippines (no imagelicense required, by the way), visit the club’s excellent website here (another plus factor many tourist sites have yet to catch onto). A thoroughly enjoyable day, no work involved … after all, I am allegedly retired, you know.

And just in case learning to fly, at a price you can afford, has made you interested in coming to the Philippines (if not now, when?), and you want insider info that can save you real money how you could still afford to fly you might be interesting in this: "If you are planning a vacation, wish you could visit distant family or just want to see the world then my guide is for you. I give you all the essentials on how to get Extremely Cheap Flights , tell you the scams to avoid and reveal all of the biggest money saving and confidential insider secrets the airlines have threatened me to keep silent about…"

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Fences, Finances and Fear of the Unknown

May 13, 2010 By Philly Leave a Comment

All can be overcome.  Doesn’t matter if you are young and only now just thinking of a career, middle aged and looking for a new challenge, or an old man like me, blessed by aviation in its many forms for more than 50 years, this one is for you:

imageFirst “Learn To Fly Day” Coming Soon

“We’re asking every pilot and aviation enthusiast to introduce someone new to aviation on Learn To Fly Day,” EAA’s Ron Wagner told AVweb at Sun ‘n Fun this week. “It’s coming up soon … May 15 … and

pilots around the country are making plans to participate.” Participation can be as simple as inviting a friend or neighbor to visit the airport or go for a flight, or as robust as planning a weekend-long community festival, as one group in Louisiana is doing, Wagner said. “This is not just an EAA initiative,” he added. “It’s aviation-wide.” There are so many barriers to discovering the world of flight today, from fences to finances to fear of the unknown, Wagner said. “If each of us just got one person interested, the aviation community would double.”

The Web site at learntofly.org offers info both for pilots who may want to host an event, and for the curious who may be looking for an event near them. International Learn to Fly Day was announced at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 by the leaders of EAA, AOPA, Remos Aircraft, the National Association of Flight Instructors, and others.

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Tropical Depression Scenery

October 10, 2009 By Philly 1 Comment

Hi,

A little over a week ago the effects of a strong tropical depression heading for the coast of China manifested in my area as unusually large waves. Well, just up the beach from me about a quarter of a mile is the designated surfing area in La Union. For some reason there are not many surfing areas in the entire Philippines. Perhaps a surfer would know what characteristics create a surf suitable for riding and just several hundred feet away there are no rides available. This is a lovely area. It has been developed somewhat, just private housing, but there area still some areas where the jungle type vegetation goes from the highway to almost the high tide line. The property just adjacent to the one where I shot the photos was being offered at about $100 for a square meter. In my book that is CHEAP for beach side property. In the U.S. an area like this one would be overdeveloped with expensive condos, or tourist type facilities. But, the economy here just would not support a high paying clientele. So, these juicy properties just go to those looking for a nice area to build a home. In the immediate area there are several surfing oriented businesses, one mini resort and another by-the-day surfing establishment, with equipment rentals and instructors but they don’t seem to be doing a fantastic business.

Here are some photos.

Take care,

Tom

———–

Ed Note:  I’ll post this in two parts in deference to dial-up users.

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Life In The Philippines Isn't All Storms

October 4, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

Here’s a picture my dear wife , the Unofficial Cook snapped a month or so ago when we were at Clark for lunch.  The exact same picture could have been snapped about 60 years ago because I would “escape” to the airport (at that time, Watching airplanes at Omni Aviation, Clark AB N07, Lincoln Park) every chance I had to escape.  Watching airplanes on a sunny morning is something good for the soul.

Of course later on I did more than watch.  One thing that amazes me about how much things have changed over the years is America’s attitudes toward pilots.  When I was a little boy, it was almost every boy’s dream … now, today … even though we make so much more use of air travel, it’s something hardly anyone thinks of.

Not so here in the Philippines.  Every flight school in existence is chock full of students, and there at the Omni Aviation strip at Clark there is a dedicated school run by Philippine Airlines that is what we call ab initio (from the begriming) where they train young man and women from day one.  Many other schools in Asia are struggling to crank out enough pilots and there in the US there is going to be a shortage over the next few years as well as the current glut of overage pilots who got a special exemption from Congress finally have to let go of their death grip and retire.

Philippines Flight School Here’s an example of a current Philippine flight school. Omni Aviation located on their own little runway on the former Clark AB, now the Clark Special Economic Zone. 

Of angeles_city_fccourse if you would prefer your flying a little more rustic and open air the Angeles City Flying Club … located out in the countryside a bit north and east of Angeles City, can accommodate you.  Ultra light aircraft don’t have to follow the same rules as conventional aircraft do, and you don’t need a pilot license for one .. but they require the same skills, give the same thrills and build the same pilot experience as their “heavier” brethren do.

Whatever your choice, the storms are only here a certain short time, the rest of the year you can have fun and enjoy the sunshine.  I think we’ll go to Clark/Angeles Tuesday am, the sun should be shining nicely by then.

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More Market Posts

September 28, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

We’ve changed server locations and had a few other unavoidable delays.  But things should work better from now on.  I’m going to post some more of the excellent market photos that Thomas Glenn was so kind to provide:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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And some more Market Pictures

September 27, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

Courtesy of Thomas Glenn

 

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San Gabriel Market — Photo Essay — Part 1

September 27, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

Today I have another treat for us, those interested in sightseeing, learning the countryside and (my kinda folk) those who like to eat. Thomas Glenn, one of our PhilFAQS guest writers gave me another great post with especially wonderful pictures. It’s most kind of Tom to share and the pictures are big, so I think I’m going to space this post out over several days. Be patient, tune in every day, and your patience will be rewarded.
—————————————————————————-(Noyte, if you see a huge white space here, scroll down and you’ll eventually come to the picture …I don’t have time to fix it right now … it only happens if you are using an outdated, non-standards-compliant browser like Microsoft Internet Explorer. Switch to a moderne browser like Firefox and all will fall into place. … Philly)

Hi,

Today’s topic is close to my heart, and even closer to my stomach. Most of the towns here in the province of La Union have a public market. This is built with taxpayers’ money and serves the whole community. The stalls in the market are rented out to vendors, primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables (including rice), animal flesh (chicken (manok), pork (baboy), beef (baka), goat (kambing), and a variety of fresh and dried fish. Any day of the week these permanent vendors open up their stalls and work the whole day. In my area the markets also have what they call “Market Day. There are vendors of non-traditional food and non-food items who set up for business on Market Day. Most of these vendors will not have a stall, but will place their items on some fabric or plastic or tarpaulin on the ground in the area surrounding the permanent vendors. The Market Days in the towns adjacent to one another schedule their days (usually two times a week) so as to not conflict with the nearby towns. This permits the transient vendors to travel from town to town and sell their goods on Market Day. A major attraction of these regularly scheduled days is that they attract many more buyers than the normal days. For some people this provides the opportunity to make major purchases for the kitchens for the entire week. Market Day is an exciting time, both for the vendors who hope to sell their entire stock and buyers who are hoping to find the foods they want at bargain prices. Over a period of time all these vendors, permanent or transient, come to know one another so there is a lot of greeting and gossiping (chika-chika) going on.

Today we went to San Gabriel so that Julie could spend some time with her employee and to do some photography herself. I took this opportunity to go to the market with my camera. There is no way that I could sneak into the market incognito. A person six foot, one inch, weighing almost 300 pounds and with Scotch-Irish complexion and blue eyes just naturally appears as a foreign object. After a while I forget that I am a pink spotted giraffe and begin to relax and enjoy myself. Invariably the people I see there are friendly and inviting. A few are Hollywood stars and want their picture taken but for the most part the people are shy and sometimes conceal their faces if I point the camera in their direction. The children have no reservation about having their picture taken. I don’t know what it is but something must happen after childhood and into puberty that changes a camera hog into a camera shy teenager. Then the MUCH older people enjoy having their picture taken. But, enough of all this text and on to the photos.

Take care,
Tom

————–

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Philippine Touring — Beating the Heat

April 7, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

A blogging colleague of mine, Tyler Cruz lives up in the far, frozen north of Canada (well. not really that far north, Tyler lives on Vancouver island on the beautiful Strait of Georgia, down in Canada’s lovely southland, but it’s altogether far enough north for me ;-)

A week or so ago Tyler emailed me and said he was coming to the Philippines for the first rime ever, and a primary purpose of the visit was to meet his Lola (grandmother) in the town of Baliuag (also spelled Baliwag … Philippine spelling is an entertainment source all to itself), which is only about 20 or 25 kilometers (about 12 or 14 miles) from our home here in Marilao Bulacan ( or Bulakan if you prefer ;-) ).  Knowing that Mita and I were already established residents he asked what seemed a reasonable question … if we knew anything about hotels in Bulacan … after all, the distance is less than the distance across our last city in the US, which is no giant, as cities go, Colorado Springs). 

8waveBut distances here can be really deceiving.  he might as well have asked about accommodations in Malaysia or Mongolia … I’d know just as much.  We do take a Philippines newspaper, but there are seldom any ads for local businesses, and unless you happen to know someone from the town, it’s like a far off land.  Actually, even if you do know somebody from a particular town, chances are they never use any local hotels and they’re unlikely to be able to recommend anything for a visitor anyway.satisfied

image

Long story short, Tyler emailed me back right away and said his dad (who is a bulacaeno) had already recommended a place, a hotel resort near his Lola’s, so everything sounded fine.

My wife an I are always up for a ride, and when my mother-in-law heard about Tyler’s visit she cautioned me that I shouldn’t let a friend go to a hotel sight unseen, it might have turned into a ‘short time” hotel or something worse.  Besides, said mother, ”I’ve never been to Baliuag in my life”.  When mother wants to go, we generally go, so we went.

The 8 Waves Resort, Water Park and Hotel is surprisingly well maintained and well laid out facility right on the outskirts of the town of Baliuag proper.  Surprising to me anyway in the sense that it is clean ,,, I mean clean in the corners and behind the doors in the bathrooms and such, and they have easy-in, easy-out highway access and plentiful, spacious parking. 

The building is well constructed decent in decor, well air conditioned, has all modern conveniences like elevators,  internet access and such, and has a very nice franchise restaurant in the lobby, part of the Pancake House chain of franchises.  The food is well above average, the menu has a lot of variety, international dishes as well as Filipino and you can tell by the picture on the right, where two of the happy diners (they’re sitting down because they are busog … full) are discussing with Lolo what part of dinner they liked best.

A very nice find, close to home.  My thanks to Belle, the assistant manager for her hospitality,. the wait staff and the rest of the crew at 8 Waves for a very pleasant visit, and Tyler?  I’m pretty sure you’ll be well satisfied with your stay.  Recommended. http://www.8waveswaterpark.com.ph

 

 

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Philippine Touring — The Republic Begins

March 31, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

Last week I wrote about the beginnings, to the Western mind at least, of the nation of the Philippines down in delightful Cebu. Philippine Touring From The Beginning.

In that article I mentioned how often people who live right next to important historic, tourist-worthy sites often ignore them for years … so last week Mita, the Unofficial Cook and I decided to stop procrastinating and visit the site of the founding of the very first Philippine republic in the city of Malolos, Bulacan, just a few kilometers up MacArthur Highway or (much quicker and easier) the NLEX, from our home in Marilao.


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imageFrom the south, take the NLEX to the spur marked Tabang, continue through the Tabang toll booths along MacArthur Highway.  From the north, there is no access to the Tabang Spur, so exit right at the Plaridel/Santa Rita exit and drive a short distance west to join MacArthur Highway, turning right, or back toward the north.  Watch for the ‘flyover’ in Malolos, keep to the ground level road and you’ll be able to turn left under the highway toward the Malolos proper downtown.  You’ll likely have to ask for specific turns to reach your final destination, though, because the historical sites in Malolos are virtually un-noticed by the locals … just some old churches that happen to be there … no signs or tourist attraction directions at all.

The first place you’ll want to stop is Barasoain Church.  This is a mid-sized church complex with plenty parking inside the grounds (no charge on the day we were there, YMMV) where, on the sunny morning of January 23, 1899, the First Philippine Republic, popularly known as the Malolos Republic, was inaugurated amidst colorful ceremonies at the Barasoain Church. This was also the first republic in Asia. General Emilio Aguinaldo was proclaimed first president of the new nation, and in something which seems unique to me, one of his first proclamations was the give the rights of residence and the conduct of business to Spaniards and other foreigners already in the Philippines.  Quite a change for the current government mindset to be sure.

image Another site worth visiting is only a few blocks form the Barasoain Church, the Malolos Cathedral,   It’s directly on the main city plaza or square, easily seen from a distance and has parking inside a gated area at the front, 20 PhP per car when we were there, YMMV. The Cathedral was the seat of power of the President of the First Philippine Republic, Emilio Aguinaldo. Essentially it served as both the nations “white house” and Capitol building during the early days of the revolution.  When the Philippine-American War erupted in 1899, President Aguinaldo moved the capital from Malolos to San Fernando in Pampanga.

One of the most interesting artifacts to me at this site is a landmark of the revolution was a huge century-old siar tree where Aguinaldo is said to have conducted many political discussions. The historical Siar Tree, now known as the Kalayaan Tree, or Freedom Tree, said to have been planted by Aguinaldo during a lull in Congress proceedings.  Beneath the shade of the tree is a monument that depicts the meeting of Filipino revolutionaries represented by Generals Gregorio del Pilar and Isidoro Torres, the legislator Don Pablo Tecson, a nationalist leader of the Church Padre Mariano Sevilla (one of my relations by marriage) and a woman freedom fighter Doña Basilia Tantoco.

Worth a visit?  Absolutely, for Filipino or foreigner alike.  Recommended.

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Philippine Touring From The Beginning

March 24, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

I’ve decided that in general on Tuesdays I am going to write more about “going around” to different places in the Philippines.  They won’t always be monumental trips but I do move about the country and the Unofficial Cook reminded me the other day that except for our lovely but too short jaunt to Macau the other week I have been sitting on my big round behind way too often.

Friday last we went on a little jaunt to something quite historic and close by, but I decided to start the weekly series with a trip to something much closer to the true beginnings of the Philippines that we made a couple years back.

There is a running joke in the US that varies from place to place that makes the assertion that people who live near famous or historic tourist attractions never visit them.   If you live, lets say in the New York metro area the story goes you probably have never visited the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building … I grew up in sight of them both and I am only one for 2 … been to the Empire State building several times, my wife and I visited Ellis Island but when we continued on to the Statue it was closing time, so the closest I got, ever, has been to view her from the deck of a ferry at the ferry landing.

These anecdotes can probably be continued for almost any city in the US, and I suspect also apply to Filipinos and famous Philippine sites about the same.

But I did begin at the beginning, or near enough to the beginning here in the Philippines.  Several years ago my wife and I visited Cebu … a really nice place by the way and very popular as a place to live for many expats, and among the many sites we visited was one of the very earliest markers of the absolute beginning of the Philippines as a nation or entity called the Philippines …

Magellan’s Cross

As our friends at Wikipedia tell us:

image Magellan’s Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 21, 1521.

This cross is housed in a small chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Magallanes Street (Magallanes being the Spanish name of Magellan), just in front of the city hall of Cebu City. A sign below the cross claims that the original cross is encased inside the wooden cross that is found in the center of this chapel. This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers.[1] Some people, however, believe that the original cross had been destroyed or had disappeared after Magellan’s death, and the cross is a replica that was planted there by the Spaniards after they successfully colonized the Philippines.[2][3][4]

Magellan’s Cross is a symbol of Cebu City and the chapel’s image can be found in its city seal. It is also seen as the symbol of Roman Catholicism and a tourist attraction in the Philippines.

imageThis is to me a worthwhile visit, if for no other reason than to look at something set in motion more than 100 years before there was even a place called the USA.  Many Americans (since history is hardly taught in US schools any more, or if taught is usually relegated to the football coach in the off season) think the US has been around for a long time and sometimes are afflicted by the notion that the US knows it all.

Well we do know a lot and I remain a proud nation and one with many tings that others might emulate, but we sure didn’t found the modern worlds and we aren’t the center of it.  I’m a big believer in knowing what went on elsewhere to be able to put things in perspective and also to find out what other countries did right and did wrong so we, as Americans, are better equipped to know what we ought to be proud of, and why.

image Magellan actually never saw the cross, he was killed on Mactan Island, just across a narrow straight from Cebu City by a warrior named Rajah Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino progenitor who did not value meekness and refused to believe the propaganda that the Spanish promulgated about how good life would be if the Filipinos would just make themselves subservient to the Spanish who “came in peace” with the best interests of the native people at heart.  Yeah, right.

Regretfully I didn’t get to go see the monument commemorating the “Battle of Mactan” which commemorates both Lapu-Lapu and Magellan, but I have it on my list for another visit, soon.

Magellan, you may recall, has lived on in history as the man who made the first circumnavigation of the globe, another  in a long list of historical “facts” like bell and the telephone and Marconi and the radio which the football coaches over the years have gotten wrong.  The 18 survivors of Magellan’s crew completed the first known circumnavigation of the globe, but Magellan was given the honor, posthumously, based on the fact that he had sailed east from Portugal in the past as far as the Philippines (the 1521 fiasco, when Magellan got himself killed by foolishly attacking 1,500 Filipino warriors with a force of 48 … (was Magellan in George Armstrong Custer’s family tree I wonder?) … was not his first trip to the Philippines, so one trip plus one trip equaled the whole job.  Funny how it works that way, because the 18 men who did complete the first true circumnavigation of the globe are virtually unknown.

Anyway, certainly worth a visit, and as the place most associated with the real beginnings of what is now the Republic of the Philippines, I highly recommend it.  (if you do visit Cebu, I highly recommend this hotel as well, a very nice place).

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Philippine Things To Do

February 9, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

It’s almost that time again.  Starting Thursday the 12th of February 2009 the 14th Annual Philippine Balloon fest will kick off at the former “Clark Field”, now the Clark Special Economic Zone.  The official Philippine Balloon Fest schedule is here.  I attended this event two years ago and it was great, looking at the schedule there is more  added every year so I can assure you this would be worth at least one “early rising” day of the four day event.  I mention early rising because the balloons will be taking off by 0530 or so, so unless you live close by, you’ll ne leaving at 4 am or so.

To reach the event from Manila, take the NLEX to the last toll barrier, Dau, and take the Dau exit immediately beyond the toll barrier.  Turn left (west, toward the mountains) and follow the signs.  There’s a small entry fee … perhaps 100 pesos this year and a huge parking filed (IIRC the parking is an additional 20 Pesos or so.

Hot Air Ballons at Clark

Hot Air Balloons at Clark

There is a lot more to the even than the balloons, but hot air balloons are totally u8nder the control of the winds so the still air at sunrise is typically the only time they will be able to fly.  Lots of food, drink and static exhibits to occupy your day if you like anything to do with aviation, including booths and displays from all the major aviation training companies (a real growth industry here in the Philippines at the moment), so you can get information from many suppliers in one place … something it is not always easy to do in the Philippines.

If you don’t like 0-dark-hundred departure times, many people prefer to stay over at least one night I one of the many hotels on Clark or in surrounding Angeles City  here’s a list of Angles hotels,

I was reminded to give a shout out about this event on Sunday when I was watching a show on ANC (the Philippine Channel that goes out world-wide over satellite and cable) called Asian Air Safari.  This is a weekly half hour show that is put together by a great “booster” of the Philippines, Captain Joy Roa.  Capt. Joy learned to fly in the Philippines and could just make a living in obscurity, or else just run off to some other country where it’s easier to make money, but he’s a true Filipino hero and he does things others will just say “can’t be done”.

Not only does he make a successful TV show out of airplanes and travel … no telesere drama or semi-obligatory T&A shots needed, he runs a business venture of the same name, Asian Air Safaris who offer high end structured and customized tours around the Philippines and many other Asian countries.  “You can’t build and run a high end business in the Philippines” is the kind of opinion you’ll hear all the time on web sites about the Philippines.  Or even more common, “all the high end businesses are foreigner developed/managed, Filipinos can’t build or manage a ‘real’ business”.

Well you can believe that sort of clap trap if you wish to 9and even many Filipinos feel that way too, sadly) but guys like Capt. Joy prove how wrong those attitudes are.

There’s a lot of opportunity here in the Philippines, most of it just needs someone to believe in themselves and their country.

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Philippine Retirement. Where's the Time Off?

January 26, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

I get tons of searches here at PhilFAQS, home of the answers to frequently asked questions about living in the Philippines and many emails all on the subject of finding a job here in the Philippines.  Most of these are from people with a lot more “wishful thinking” than “gas in their tank”.  They are having a tough time getting along money-wise or relationship-wise in their current job, or they don’t have a current job, and they heard that the cost of living here is low, so they are willing to trade a low-satisfaction job at home for perhaps an even lower one here.

Well more power to them, if they can swing it … but I’m warning you, it isn’t easy.  There are few jobs for foreigners here, and in general they pay really low … a private English as a Second Language teacher might make PhP 1,000 a day (most make much less) and it’s 5 1/2 or six days a week, solid, to earn even that kind of money.  Very few Filipinos are going to be students in these schools … Filipinos fall into two general classes so far as English goes … the ones who went to private schools are are perfectly adequate with English and the ones who don’t have much English at all, and either won’t pay or can’t pay to learn it now.  This means the students at these schools are usually Koreans and people from other Asian countries who come here to learn English for one reason … it’s cheap, and they demand a lot of bang for their buck.  After all they cold just as easily go to school in their own countries, if they wanted to pay a living wage type tuition. [Read more...]

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