Filipina Took 1st Women’s World 10-Ball Championship

June 6, 2009 - SM North Mall Manila, Philippines was the venue of the First Women’s World 10 Ball Championship finals. Out of the 48 contenders, it was our kababayan, Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit, bagged this prestigious award. Bingkay(13) overcame Shin Mei Liu(7) of Taiwan race to 10 format.

Bingkay defeated Julie Kelly of Ireland, H. Tan of Taiwan, Jeanette Lee of USA, Akimi Kajitani of Japan and Shin Mei Liu (10-4) in the finals. Bingkay was awarded with 20,000 USD and the illustrious title of world champion.

Another Filipina who made waves in this event is the 11-year old Gillian Go. Gillian made it to the top 24 during the round robin. We are definitely watching you girl!

Home Sweet Home: Airport Blues

It's great to be back!! I missed Manila and all the traffic jam, pollution, etc. hehehe.. Just got back from Malaysia from a business trip.. I flew back to Manila via Malaysia Air. I alighted to NAIA terminal 1 around 4PM ... haaaay I can't help comparing NAIA Terminal 1 to KLIA, theirs is far more advanced.. even compared to NAIA terminals 2 & 3. So why again are we still using Terminal 1 as our INTERNATIONAL Aiport?? Apologies to the airport authorities and management but NAIA terminal 1 is so bulok!!!. The toilets are leaking, the flooring and walls are ancient. It's like a 3-star hotel in the province. It's a 28-year old structure so what do you expect.

If we plan to attract more tourists, before anything else, I think we need to improve the airport terminals. It's complicated enough that we have three (3) international airport terminals (not to mention the domestic terminal in domestic road) but the public/tourist information system is lousy as well. Even for some Pinoys these terminals are confusing.

So I decided to put this little information about our airport terminals just to help out some of the tourists and even local flyers about what airlines/flights are in which of which:

NAIA Terminal 1
All International Flights except PAL and Cebu Pacific

NAIA Terminal 2 a.k.a. Centennial Terminal
Philippine Air Lines international flights (North Wing) and Domestic flights (South Wing)


NAIA Terminal 3 - located in Andrew's Ave. near Villamor Air Base
All Cebu Pacific flight, Air Philippines and PAL Express

Domestic Terminal - located in Domestic Road
Zest Air (formerly Asian Spirit) and SEAir

Hope this helps!

2009 Manny Pacquiao 10-Ball Cup

He’s back! The money man is back for his second love, billiards. Yes the rumors are not rumors anymore Manny Pacquiao is again preparing another billiards tournament.

The 2009 Manny Pacquiao 10 Ball Cup will be held at the Makati Cinema Square SuperBowl on the 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th of May 2009. The finals is on June 1, 2009.

The tournament will have several levels -- Class C, B, A and O (open). Mind you Manny Pacquiao himself is on the B category not bad for the number one pound for pound champ.

Registration fee is P1000 and P700 to MAPPA, Makati Pool Players Association, members. The tournament is open to all amateur pool players.
(NO TIRADORS allowed daw)

Interested parties may contact the following:

Ato de Vera - 09177629054
Arvin Arceo - 09279816673
Jesse Gonzales - 09175270489

TFC Mother's Day Special

Last week I was invited to join 6 other mothers at The Bellevue Manila, Alabang. This is for a special segment that will be featured in TFC in commemoration of Mother’s Day.

The TFC crew picked me and Tumi, my little boy, in Market Market at around 9:30 AM. We arrived in Bellevue by 10am. Honestly, it was my first time in Bellevue. I am a Makati-Taguig person you know (ala Pacman style) and I don’t really frequent Alabang (can’t stand SLEX traffic).



It was raining cats and dogs that day but the air in Bellevue is so classy that it immediately warms you. All of us were directed to Cafe d' Asie at the 2nd floor, the buffet area. We were greeted by the pleasant aroma of delectable goodies. There were roast beef, roasted pork belly on a bed of vegetables, chicken with cashew, Mongolian barbecue, cold salad bar, Japanese sushi bar and sweets to name a few. There were such a variety of food I don’t even know where to start. You know me, I have to sample everything. Not to mention the desserts, it will make you desert your senses hahhaha.. they were to die for really. Tumi likes the mango cake particularly.



After the meals, a brief interview was held just to get our say about the whole experience. It was my first time on GLOBAL tv and I was up to the head nervous. I tried to describe the experience on my head and took a mental list of the people I’m going to greet. But when in front of the camera everything was a blur to me and I can’t remember a thing. I think I even stuttered. (well there goes my showbiz career hehehe) Anyway, it was fun for me and Tumi. It was really quality time for us.



So I’d like to thank TFC again for that wonderful experience and the very nice bouquet of flowers. This is one Mother’s Day that I’ll never forget. (eto dapat sinabi ko!)

Sa TFC Connect Tayo :D


TFC CONNECT SCHEDULE

NORTH AMERICA:
Pacific Region ~
Mon-Fri, 1:25pm & 8:15pm.
Eastern Region ~
Mon-Fri, 4:25pm & 11:15pm.

MIDDLE EAST:
Saudi Arabia ~
Mon-Fri, 7:20am.
Mon, 7:20pm.
Tue, 11:10am & 7:20pm.
Wed-Fri, 7:20pm.
Dubai ~
Mon-Fri, 8:20am.
Mon, 8:20pm.
Tue, 12:10pm & 8:20pm.
Wed-Fri, 8:20pm.

EUROPE:
Milan ~
Mon-Fri, 7:20am, 12:25pm & 5:30pm.
Tue-Sat, 12:15am.
London ~
Mon-Fri, 6:20am, 11:25am, 4:30pm & 11:15pm.

ASIA PACIFIC:
Hong Kong & Singapore ~
Mon-Fri, 7:40am, 1:30pm & 7:20pm.
Japan ~
Mon-Fri, 8:40am, 2:30pm & 8:20pm.

AUSTRALIA:
Sydney ~
Mon-Fri, 9:40am, 3:30pm & 9:20pm.

Watch the video here:

Get That Natural High: Sky High Adventure in Cebu

I first heard about this escapade in Sports Unlimited and read about it on the In-flight magazine on board CebPac. The thrill seeker in me will never pass this opportunity to experience the Sky High Adventure. So when we arrived in Cebu City, after dropping our bags to our hotel, we venture into the metropolis.

Good thing our hotel has a terrific location. It’s near SM Cebu, the Ayala Center and most importantly it’s a good walking distance to the Crown Regency Hotel and Towers. This is the location of the Sky High Adventure.



We rode the elevator and got off to the 19th floor. It actually reminded me of the ticket booths in Ayala Cinemas. Here we inquired about the package for the Sky Adventure. It’s a whoopping P380 for the entrance fee and P500 for the Edge Coaster ride or the Sky Walk Extreme. Good for us, they have an on-going promotion, buy 1 take 1, so my buddies and I split the tab. Btw, the entrance fee comes with a Sky Meal. You can choose from the ff choices:

3 pcs siomai
Siopao
Grilled Sandwich
Tuna/Chicken Turnover
Donut

All of these come with a refillable iced tea for drinks.

After buying our tickets, we rode the elevator again and headed for the Edge Coaster ride on the 38th floor. All cameras and other electronic devices are prohibited once you enter the turnstile to the Edge Coaster ride. They have their own photographer.

So this is it, I said to myself when I stepped onto the platform. The attendant helped us buckle up for the ride. He gave us some instructions on how to operate the coaster and off we go. The coaster can only seat two people. The interval of each coaster is around 5 minutes, this is the time it will take 1 coaster to finish the entire course. The coaster goes automatic and it will tilt your seats 50 º on the first area alone. After this you’ll have a free hand on tilting it back or tilting it more. When the coaster tilted to 50 º my heart pounded upon our bird’s eye view of the city below. Boyyy it was scary and yet exhilarating at the same time. We actually never tilted our seat back to enjoy the full experience all through out. It’s a good thing we did it in the evening, Cebu City is alive with lights. The view is spectacular and amazing. It reminded me of my trip in Eiffel Tower way way back.



The five minute ride was thrilling. I’ll surely ride again but next time I’ll do it over sunset. This way I’ll be able to feel the elevation more. You can purchase your pictures at the lobby. The picture costs around 350, 550, 850 etc. depending on the number of shots. They’ll burn a cd for you and you can have it printed. I think this is terrible and super expensive. Imagine 16 shots for P550. (harang diba!)

If you want to try the Sky Walk Extreme, you just need to proceed on the lower level mezzanine. Special suit and rubber shoes will be provided. Remember to bring your own socks. This event will take around 15-20 minutes depending on you and your guide.



Btw, if you’re interested in this natural high adventure I suggest you buy your tickets to their marketing agents. You can get more discounts and the prices go up at the Crown Regency Hotel during night time. The Sky High Adventure is open from 8:00 am to 2:00 am.

Please contact Gaby for reservations: 09158736360

The Hoyohoy Villas in Bantayan Island

If one of those suspected A(H1N1) cases in Cebu turns positive I’m heading to the hospital for testing. Hahahha.. now you know where I went.. yes I went to the Queen City of the South, Cebu. Despite the flu scare and the bad weather .. yup I still went, packed my bags and flew with my girl buds to Cebu. (tigas ng ulo..)

Our first destination was Bantayan Island. Bantayan is a 2-3 hour drive from the airport. You can take the public transportation or rent a cab to Hagnaya pier. For the bus ride, go to the North Terminal and look for the Ceres bus liner, it’s yellow and look for the Hagnaya destination. It takes around 3 hours if you take the bus. The girls and I, hired a cab from the airport to Hagnaya pier. It only took 2 hours to get to our destination. The cab fare cost us P1800 but I got a driver who could drive anybody for P1500 only.

When in Hagnaya, ride the shuttle, this is how they call their ferry boat in those part. The shuttle ride is about 1hour to Sta Fe, Bantayan Island. The resort owner promised that somebody would pick us up at the Sta Fe pier. I was surprised that pedicabs were it. Yes, pedicabs are the major transport provider in Sta Fe, cool :D We got to the resort in less than 5 minutes (lapit lang pala hahha..) we could have walked. We were greeted by the gentle sea breeze and a refreshing buko juice. There’s only one description for the HOYOHOY Villas resort, LOVELY.



I found out that the resort owner, Inday Rimaz, is an interior decorator. This explains the careful attention to every detail of all sorts of things, the kalesa, old jars etc. All the villas are elevated, ideal to keep the water out in case of big waves. There are only 6 villas in Hoyohoy and at the center of the resort is a swimming pool with a charming mini bridge and falls. The restaurant is also facing the pool. The rooms are spacious. Ours has one queen sized bed and 1 single bed. All rooms are equipped with a mini bar and a satellite tv. Actually the amenities are just a plus. The nice thing about the room is how the natural light illuminates it. It’s so relaxing perfect for that stress-alleviating moment. I think all this is due to the curtains. They’re made of light material (am not sure if it’s abacca). They’re kept in place by these handsome shells hanging loosely.



The bathroom has a big tub, good for soaking your aching back and legs. The shower area is situated outside the bathroom. Honestly, this is my favorite part of the villa. The walls of the shower area are made of Japanese bamboo that encourages voyeurism hehehe.. The sky makes up for the ceiling, reminding me of how were bathrooms before in the provinces. This brought taking a bath into a new level. Imagine bathing in warm water from the shower and at the same time cool fresh water pours from the rains. Some kind of experience di ba. Even the floor is a marvel. It has scattered stones composed of white (buhay na bato) and gray rocks. Grouped in a flowery like formation - that promotes good blood circulation for you while bathing.



The staffs are all courteous and accommodating. We requested for so many things during breakfast and I thought they’re gonna charge us extra for that. Btw, card payment is available.

Did I mention that Hoyohoy means breeze..

Here's a 360 degree view of Hoyohoy..

White Water Rafting in CDO: A Glimpse On A Day Of The 2009 Tarsier Convention

WHITE WATER RAFTING @ CDO
We got up early to prepare for the day’s activities. Our visit to CDO will not be complete if we don’t get to brawl with the waves of the great CDO river. Before heading to the rapids we dropped by to the Macahumbus cave. This cave is only about 57 meters and at the end you’ll have a nice view of the river.

Now we’re ready to tackle the rapids. There were nine of us on the raft, 6 paddlers, 2 guides and 1 miron. I was a little nervous and excited at the same time. Our group took the advanced level. It consisted of 21 rapids, 7 of these are advanced levels and 14 are considered for beginners. Our guides briefed us of water safety, simple signaling conventions and basic paddling in a raft. We each have our helmet, vest and lastly our paddle.

It's around 10 am when we started. The course began in the boundary of Bukidnon. The first few yards ended up in getting stuck with some big rocks. Maneuvering was really a challenge for us first timers in white water rafting and since it's summer time the water is low. After this first hurdle we started to get the hang of paddling and we started to enjoy the rapids. I learned that the secret to a successful paddling is to be in harmony with your fellow paddlers. Just follow the strokes of the one in front of you, the one behind you should the do same thing. Timing is vital. Now I know how the dragon boat team feels like. After several hours of muscle paddling action we were rewarded with scrumptious lunch.

Lunch consisted of grilled prawns, grilled liempo, grilled chicken, embotido and puso (rice wrapped in coconut leaves). We had pineapples for desserts. Honestly, I am not a big fun of pineapples but boy these pineapples were really ripe and yummy! It made me want to visit Bukidnon. We’re all so famished that it felt like engaging in a boodle fight. Hahahha!!!

After a few minutes of rest, here we go again to the rampaging river. Like what I said, since its summer the water level is low. But our guide said that if you visit during the rainy season, it’s a different ballgame. He also told us that due to heavy rains and flash floods last January, the river’s width increased. Most of the houses were trampled by big rocks and raging waters. Yikes! That’s mother-nature getting back at us for not taking care of her.

We decided to switch places to even out the paddling arm. I found out later at night that this was actually a good idea since it even out my muscle aches. Hehehehe! By this time were down to the beginner-level rapids. Our guide is quite experimental and made us stand, form a circle and hold each other. This is actually one of the parts I enjoyed most. We emerged triumphant in this exercise because of balance and everybody’s fun-lets-go-charge attitude.


After tackling all the 21 rapids, it’s graduation time. Did I fail to mention that not all parts of the river is fast, rocky or shallow. In this area, the water is calm, deep and steady. It is so inviting and that of course I jumped right in for a swim and docked to a nearby rock. This big rock is actually the podium of our graduation. We were made to jump to mark the end of our paddling exercise. Don’t worry they’ll not force you to jump if you don’t want to.




It's almost 4pm when removed our vest and rest our weary bodies. I'm hungry again. All snacks seems delicious, I remembered Jodie's kiamoy inside my bag and feasted on it instanly. Hahaha this time everybody wanted the kiamoy.

Yahoo!! I conquered the river. It was exhilarating. Next time I’ll try the expert level. The tour was provided by RAP, Rapid Adventure of the Philippines. The cost is around a thousand bucks including the foodie. You can visit their site: http://www.raftingadventurephilippines.com/home.html.

View a snippet of the actual adventure below, enjoy!!