Aside from Nurture Spa (Tagaytay City), I highly recommend the Soniare Club Spa. Instead of going out of the city, it’s at the heart of Metro Manila. The Soniare Club Spa is found at the intersection of Tomas Morato Avenue and Dr. Lazcano Street, Quezon City (in front of Alfredo’s steak house, and a few meters from Ratsky and Little Asia).The place is clean and calm. The place and its people are not pretentious or intimidating. The atmosphere feels like the warmth of a mother’s embrace after a whole day of doing our battles in life. Soniare has jacuzzi and sauna, but I rarely use both. I immediately proceed to the massage area after a hot shower (although I must add that “immediately” includes a short trip to the lounge to watch TV).

The core of the Soniare experience, of course, is the massage. If you consider the place and the kind of service, the cost of P400 is really cheap. They could, in fact, justify a higher price, except that maybe the intense competition around that area pushes down the prices. Choose from different massage variations: Swedish, Japanese Shiatsu, Chinese Reflexology, Thai, Aeropian, Hot Stone, Yoga and others. Soniare also offers facial therapies, body scrubs, and head and foot therapies.

For inquiries and reservation, you may call telephone nos. 928-3439 and 411-8016.

The Pacman is not known as the Mexican assassin in the boxing world for nothing. Indeed, after Manny defeated Morales, Barrera and other boxing greats of Mexico, who’s next? It’s clear, though, that Diaz is a clean fighter compared to the rest fought by Manny.

The Pacquiao I saw in today’s fight against Diaz is a totally different one, a far cry from what I saw when he was still an amateur fighter and even during his first few international fights. In this fight, Manny has shown the form of a true great champion. He was patient. He sways and ducks. He dances and moves around the ring. He throws great combinations. Heck, I still had a hard time seeing his fist even on slow motion during the 9th round, when he knocked-out Diaz with a power left at 2:24 minutes. Everyone could see the great physical condition of Diaz and his ability to take the punishment of Manny’s powerful blows, but Manny was simply the stronger and better fighter (if you haven’t seen the fight, you’d agree with me when you see the video, perhaps in youtube).

I was pleasantly surprised seeing Manny’s transformation in terms of defense. I’m no boxing expert, but I could see a different style of defense this time around. Diaz had a difficult time because, among other reasons, Manny would be gone by the time Diaz fist hits the air. Manny simply danced his way out of Diaz’ reach. What’s more impressive is that Manny would leave a “pabaon”, a jab or a strong blow while floating away. He connects while in the process of evading the punches of Diaz. It was the greatest form of Manny I have ever seen (on second thought, maybe it was the time Manny defeated Morales the second time around).

Mabuhay ka, Manny! Kaya mo, Pinoy. (Read also: Barrera Die-hard Praises Pacquiao for Gesture of Helping David Diaz.)

There are some things to remember about typhoons, first of which is this — not all typhoons are created equal. There used to be only 3 storm signals when I was still a boy. Today, there are four: Storm Signal No. 1 (winds of 30-60 kph may be expected in at least 36 hours or intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours), Storm Signal No. 2 (winds of greater than 60 kph and up to 100 kph may be expected in at least 24 hours), Storm Signal No. 3 (winds of greater than 100 kph up to 185 kph may be expected in at least 18 hours) and Storm Signal No. 4 (very strong winds of more than 185 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours). In the Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore noted that hurricanes and other natural disasters are getting worse. (Below: Satellite Image of Typhoon Frank courtesy of PAG-ASA, DOST.)

Not all places are created equal. If you’re traveling to the southern part of the Philippines — like Davao City, General Santos City, Butuan City or Zamboanga City — you don’t have to worry about typhoons because these places are typhoon-free. People from Bicol, Samar and Leyte are almost “immune” from typhoons, are these places are the usual entry points of typhoons that are generally born in the Pacific Ocean. You may get used to the fury of a typhoon, but if electricity and water are affected, then it won’t be fun. This is one of the reasons why hotels and other vacation spots have generators.

Not all months are created equal. An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, based on official statistics (official graph of frequency of typhoons courtesy of PAG-ASA, DOST.) There are two major seasons in the Philippines: (1) the rainy season, from June to November; and (2) the dry season, from December to May. According to PAG-ASA, the dry season may be subdivided further into (a) the cool dry season, from December to February; and (b) the hot dry season, from March to May. Typhoons usually happen during the rainy season. In 2007, for instance, almost all of the typhoons (except 1) happened between July and November. So, better schedule your trip or vacation to the Philippines accordingly.

But that was before. Slowly, I began to discover the treasures of this place, namely, Alda’s which, sad to say, closed several months after I discovered it; Hizon’s, the famous restaurant reminiscent of the times when Mabini was still the place to be;  the banana Q sold outside UP Manila which has been featured several times in TV shows as the best banana Q this side of the metropolis, and of course, Robinson’s Place which has become my second office.

Just recently, I discovered Faura’s best kept secret: this small bookstore just across PAL called Solidaridad. I was told that it is owned by a Filipino writer whose name now escapes me. I must say, I was impressed with their collection. Not only do they have copies of the works of almost all foreign authors, they also have copies of their works in the original language that they were written! But what really strengthened my resolve to visit this place regularly is their collection of books written by FIlipino authors, which, unfortunately, we seldom find in popular bookstores nowadays. My friend Darleth who is “fasting” on books these days had to break her fast and bought three novels. I bought  a copy of the Tagalog translation of Pablo Neruda’s poems (I wonder who borrowed my English copy) and the second edition of a collection of short stories written by FIlipino writers of the post-war era.

A book lover herself, Darleth told me that her long commute from Cainta to Faura was definitely worth it. We both couldn’t get over the fact that an unpretentious bookstore such as this is selling materials we won’t probably find elsewhere. And it’s just along Faura, right beside barbershops and xerox machines!  We ended up discussing that of all the places in the Metropolis, Manila is the only place that has an element of surprise, character and history to it. I remember what Quentin Tarantino said when he visited Manila a couple of months ago: “I love this place because I can sense that every street has a story to tell.” Knowing now what this place has to offer, I can only agree.

(This article is reposted here with the consent of its author, Atty. Gay Ordenes. Read here if you want to submit your article of something or some place of interest in the Philippines.)

The room rates are reasonable. For a group of 11, we booked two Studio Suites — one with a bathtub (P2,400) and the other without a bath tub (P2,150), with both rates inclusive of breakfast for two. Of course, you won’t mind the difference of a few hundred pesos if you know that your young one enjoys splashing in a tub (yes, I know that you could do that in swimming pools or in the beach, but those places will be the subject of other posts).

We didn’t have to pay for the little ones because children under 12 years old are free of charge. We realized later on that we should have chosen a 2-bedroom suite (P4,950) so that the group could stay in one place (the 1-bedroom suite is P3,750, and just in case you’re wondering, the standard room is P1,450).

The reason I said that it’s reasonable is not because it’s a relatively new hotel (so the fixtures and equipment are still new), or that it has ready internet access (for those blog addicts, but you’d rather use your cellphone as a modem because the rate is P50 per hour), or that it has a reasonably good service crew, or that it’s very near a hospital (it’s a stone’s throw from Perpetual Soccour Hospital).

It’s reasonable considering that it’s just around 5 minutes of leisurely walk to Ayala Center Cebu (consisting of Glorietta-style mall at the core of the business district, also known as the Cebu Business Park; this photo of Ayala Mall is from the 6th floor of Golden Prince Hotel).

It’s less expensive (although definitely less stately) than Marriott Hotel, which is just behind the Ayala mall. The Golden Prince Hotel is also nearer to the Ayala mall than Waterfront Hotel-Lahug (again, Waterfront is way stately than the Golden Prince, but this should not prevent your young one from acting like a prince =).

Just in case the taxi driver doesn’t know where the Golden Prince is, tell them it’s just in front of Ayala-Cebu. If the driver still can’t get it, ask him to drive you to the corner of Acacia Street and Archbishop Reyes Avenue (Barangay Camputhaw, which is also the same barangay where UP-Cebu is located). If you want to ask for directions from the hotel staff (or you want to make reservations), the contact numbers are 032-233-8660 and 032-412-8660. You could also reserve through email — reservations@goldenprincehotel.com (there’s supposed to be a Golden Prince Hotel website, but it’s offline as of this writing).

Anyway, should you intend to visit Splash Island, I suggest you immediately look for a table, hut or place where you could place your things. That’s necessary if you have a few bags with you, but you could always use the locker in case you have not much stuff with you. You can’t bring in water and food, so save yourself the hassle of bringing baon. When you’re ready to go enjoy, change into your swimming gear and take a shower at the Shower Room.

Here are some of the stops you may find interesting: Magellan’s Drop (mat-race ride; downhill slide with you on your belly), Rio Montanosa (also called family raft, the starting point is higher than the Magellan’s Drop, with bigger rafts enough to accommodate the entire family). If you want to warm up your butt and slide, take the Dos Supremos and the King Pilipit (both with no mat or rubber — just you and the slide). If you want to slide but prefer a rubber raft between the surface and your behind, take the Big Bam Boo and the Twisted Palms. If you just want to sit around and imagine that you’re at the beach, try the Agos Grandes, a swimming pool with waves.

Splash Island is not entirely for the teens and adults. Children could also run around and enjoy at the Water Wahoo, although it’s not unusual to see adults also enjoying the place. At the back of Water Wahoo are water slides for children (Twin Coco Knot and Curl-of-the-Orient). I thought my son would be afraid of the slides, but here he is enjoying the kiddie slide (and subsequently came to conquer the tallest slide — the Rio Montanosa).

All the activities will definitely make you hungry, so either buy food from the stalls around the place or at the main foodcourt — Fiesta sa Pulo (among the outlets at the food court is Kenny Roger’s Roasters). After eating, relax a bit by floating around the entire area through the Balsa River. Grab a “raft,” then just go with the flow around the entire place.

Splash Island is not open throughout the year, most probably because the revenue is not enough to cover the operating costs during the rainy season. Splash Island is open only between March and June. This year, I heard they will operate only until June 15, in time for the start of classes.

How much. Admission fee is different in weekdays and weekends. During weekdays, admission fee is P250 for adults and P200 for children/senior citizens. On weekends, admission fee is P325 for adults and P250 for children/senior citizens. Children under 36″ are free of charge.

How to get there. Splash Island is found at the Southwoods Ecocentrum, Binan, Laguna. It’s in the direction of Enchanted Kingdom. After the Susana Heights exit and San Pedro exit of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), get off through the Southwoods exit then turn right. When you see a fork in the road after around 50 meters, take the left road. Just go straight and you’ll see Splash Island. You could always ask for directions from the guards posted in some intersections of Southwoods Ecocentrum. If you’re hopelessly lost (or if you want to make inquiries), try 928-0507 or 410-8100.

If you’re confronted with a situation that’s not in accordance to what you think, specially if it’s nature calling the shots, better make the most of that situation. Since we didn’t have surf boards (I dunno how to surf and, besides, this place is not known for surfing, unlike Siargao Island in Surigao), we had to make do with jumping or hitting each roll of the huge waves. It was like body massage, or let’s say hydro massage. The water hits, er, slams against, your body. I must say it was fun, and I have a few abrasions to show for it.

From its name, it’s obvious that Leisure Dive Resort primarily caters to divers. I was thinking of undergoing an intro dive as part of securing a diving certificate. More serious diving, I thought, but maybe it wasn’t not yet the time. The big waves made it difficult to get a feel of scuba diving.

Anyway, the accommodation at Leisure Diver Resort is cozy. The food is fresh. Grilled fresh squid and tilapia, among others. There’s no standard swimming pool, although my son enjoyed the inflatable pool. There are other water activities aside from diving, including banana boat and jet ski.

How to Get There. Leisure Dive Resort is situated in Barangay Ligaya, Mabini, Batangas. If you’re driving from Manila (around 2.5 hours of driving), take the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) then drive through the entire length of it. Don’t take the last exit because that would take you around a loop towards Calamba, Laguna — which is the opposite direction (although you could always take a u-turn). Take the exit around 5 meters from the last exit point (that’s the first exit after the bridge, and the bridge is right after the toll plaza…whew). Take a right turn towards the Star Tollway and if you get into the center of Santo Tomas (Batangas), you’ve passed the Star Tollway exist by around half a kilometer. The Star Tollway is a nice highway, with less vehicles using it, which means that you don’t have to worry about traffic along the tollway. Before, you’ll have to get off the Lipa Exit, but now you don’t have to. Drive until the end of the line (Balagtas exit). Go straight (but go around the rotonda first; I mean, take the second right around the rotunda). This is the direction towards the Batangas City Pier or Bauan. You’ll encounter a flyover, but don’t go through it; take the rightmost lane then turn right under the flyover. This will lead you through Bauan proper. Just ask directions how to get to Mabini. When you hit a rotonda, go right towards the Anilao pier. Before hitting the pier, turn left. From that intersection, the Leisure Dive Resort is around 6 kilometers away (so look at your odometer so you won’t be wondering if you’ve passed by the resort. You’ll pass through Leisure Dive Resort before Eagle Point at Anilao.

The resort and the parking is to your right. The walk down is a bit steep, but you could request the personnel waiting for you to carry your bags and baggage. This means that it’s always better to have a reservation and let them know the approximate time that you’ll get there. Contact numbers are 733-9635 or 7356274. Thanks to Art Riosa and his wife, for graciously making our stay at the resort enjoyable even with the not-so-perfect weather.

Sinulog (Cebu City). - The Sinulog dance ritual, which is in honor of the miraculous Santo Niño or Infant Jesus, is held every third Sunday of January. I understand it wasn’t always that way, and it was celebrated to coincide with the enthronement of the Santo Niño image at its shrine on April 28, 1565. Read more about Sinulog festival from a previous entry (with one great video, kudos to Jerrold Tarog) in this site, or go to the the official Sinulog Festival website.

Ati-Atihan (Kalibo, Aklan). - This is also a feast in honor of the Santo Niño, also celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of January (since the feast is celebrated at the same time with Sinulog of Cebu City, you better make up your mind which feast, and street dancing, to attend). Ati-atihan is from the “Atis” — the aboriginal Negritos in the area. The Ati-atihan, just like the Sinulog, has become more famous for its mardi gras. Read more at the Ati-Atihan website.

Pahiyas Festival (Lucban, Quezon). - From the website of the Pahiyas festival: “The San Isidro Pahiyas Festival held every May 15 has become one of the country’s tourist attractions prompting the Department of Tourism to list down Lucban as a tourist town and a cultural heritage site. During the San Isidro Pahiyas Festival, each household tries to outdo each other in friendly competition as they vie for honor of recognizing their creativity. As incentives to their effort, prizes were given to the winning pahiyas based on a given criteria. This accounts for some of the most curious décor that the unstoppable spirit of the festival tends to show. Decking the hall or decorating the wall with “Kiping” and agricultural harvest is what “PAYAS” or “PAHIYAS” literally means.”

Feast of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo, Manila). - The feast of the miraculous Black Nazarene, with the Quiapo Church as its home, is celebrated on the second Tuesday of January. Thousands of devotees flock to attend the procession of the Black Nazarene, trying to touch the carriage or even the ropes used to pull the carriage.

Obando Fertility Rites (Obando, Bulacan). - Part of the festival is the dance of childless women, mostly with their partners, in honor of three patron saints — Santa Clara (patron saint of the childless), San Pascual Baylon (a 16th century shepherd who danced his prayers and became a model of religious virtue) and our Lady of Salambao (the image of the Immaculate Conception was fished out by a fisherman, with the use of a salambao net). The festival is celebrated on on May 17, 18, and 19.

I must say that fiesta celebration in the provinces or probinsya is more traditional, illustrating Filipino hospitality at its best. There are games and activities for everyone. The celebrations serve as thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest. Each household prepares food for guests. Even uninvited visitors are welcome.

In our town, a fiesta is being celebrated on almost each day of the month of May. Here’s the more interesting part — since the fiesta is usually a 2-day celebration (the fiesta proper and the viesperas, which is the day before the fiesta proper), the viesperas in one barangay falls on the fiesta proper in another barangay. Imagine the festivities if you factor in the rest of the barangays in the neighboring towns. So, if you’re a traveler, try bringing wash and wear clothes, then go through the different barangays during the month of May. You won’t get hungry, most probably. =)

As of this writing, there are a number of Philippine sites (not websites, but nature sites) among the Top 77 official seven wonders nominees. These 77 sites are eligible for consideration by the New7Wonders of Nature Panel of Experts for inclusion in the group of 21 finalist candidates. The Philippine sites in the Top 77 are (with their corresponding ranks):

Tubbataha Reef (8)
Chocolate Hills (9)
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (18)

The selection is among all the nations of the world, so competition is stiff. To help, you could vote for these sites. Click here to vote for Tubbataha Reef, click here for Chocolate Hills, and click here for Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. I suggest you start with the Philippine natural wonder with the lowest rank.

Update: As of 19 June 2008,  Tubbataha Reef is No. 2, Chocolate Hills is No. 4 and Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is No. 5 based on the live ranking. It’s gratifying to note that another Philippine site, Mayon Volcano, is already No. 9.  These are the only four Philippine natural wonders nominated so far. Why is your vote important? Here’s why?

The Top 77 nominees will be considered by a panel of experts for shortlisting (down to 21), which means that because the nomination will continue until 31 December 2008, your vote really counts. The final 21 candidates selected by the panel of experts will be announced in January 2009. A new round of voting, from 2009-2010, will be undertaken to select the new wonders out of these 21 candidates. The new Seven Wonder of Nature will be announced by summer of 2010.

These days, clean natural bodies of water are rare. The bodies of water that our children could frolic and have fun are usually man-made, including artificial lakes and swimming pools. Villa Escudero (San Pablo City) has its manmade lake and swimming pools. Plantation Bay (Mactan) has its huge swimming pool which resembles a beach.

Then there’s Clearwater Country Club (Clarkfield, Pampanga), with a manmade lake for kayaking and fishing. There are swimming pools, of course, and I must say that the pools are child-friendly, with wide shallow areas for kids to enjoy. Every place has its pros and cons. Clearwater is suited for spending time out with toddlers, or functions like weddings or company outings. During the time we were there, at least 5 companies were having their outing, and 2 wedding receptions were in place. The fact that all were done at the same time means that Clearwater has enough space to cater to these activities.

If you want a romantic getaway, other places like Villa Escudero is, in my opinion, better than Clearwater. The good thing about Clearwater, however, is that it’s just under 5 minutes from Mimosa, which means you have easy access to Mimosa’s 36- hole golf course and the Casino Filipino (as well as the other establishments in Clark). Unlike in Montevista (also in Mimosa), however, Clearwater doesn’t allow food and beverages to be brought in. Also, unlike Montevista, cars are not allowed inside Clearwater (you have to park outside and walk all the way to your room), but since I saw cars inside, I’d like to believe those are owned by management.

(For directions on how to get there, refer to the directions for Montevista. Go straight past Montevista, then straight through the flashing traffic light. You’ll see Clearwater to your right after around 300 meters. If you’re lost, call 045-599-5623, 0145-599-5624, 02-584-4053 or 0917-520-4403. You could also read more at its website — yatsleisure.com).

Admission fee for visitors is P1,200 and P600 for adults and under 12, respectively. Rates are different for members and non-members. For instance, swimming is free for members, but 150 for non-members. Boating and kayaking (150/hour for members, 495/hour for guests). Fishing (100 for the rod, plus per kilo fee for the kind of fish caught). There are various rooms, but I suggest the Lakeside Lodge (P6,270) because, well, it’s beside the lake. It’s a cluster of 6 rooms, each with 2 twin-sized beds, plus 2 rooms with 4 bunk beds. There’s a closet cabinet, luggage rack, writing table and chair, cable TV, refrigerator, individual aircon, phone and a nice, clean bathroom. Aside from the Lakeside Lodge, there are Outdoor Living Tents (P2,200 for guests), Luxury Tents (P3,762) and Family Inn (P5,016). These are the rates listed in the brochure and some may have already increased. For instance, when I took my son to go fishing, we paid P110 for the rod (instead of the published P100) plus P25 for the bait (which is not mentioned in the published rates).

The place is silent and peaceful, well, at least until our companions found the karaoke microphone and my son found the swimming pool. I was just surprised to learn that with the area, there were no roving guards. We had to go out at around 2 a.m. to get the milk from our car (a good 10-minute walk to the parking area because, remember, private cars are not allowed inside the premises) and no soul was in sight. No one, including any security personnel.

Since this is nature, you should be prepared for the usual natural features, which city dwellers often refer to as “inconvenience”. There were plenty of mosquitoes — both in the early morning and, of course, in the evening, so bring anti-mosquito lotion specially if you have kids. With our meals out in the open field, ants provided extra bites to that of the mosquitoes (you could, on the other hand, choose to eat at the restaurant). These “inconveniences” provide an authentic probinsya atmosphere to the place, in addition to the sound of insects at night. Clearwater is not exactly one of those venues that you’ll fall in love at first sight, unlike Villa Escudero. Still, each one has his/her own preference, so it really depends what you want in a place.