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Ajinomoto employees volunteer for the environment
More than a hundred employees of Ajinomoto (Philippines Head Office) volunteered to be part of the Linis Serbisyo ng Ka-Aji 2011 and clean select areas along Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue and Jupiter Street in Makati City.
Headed by APC President Taro Fujie, the employees swept the streets, picked up litters, and segregated and disposed garbage properly. After the clean-up, a total of 146 kilograms of non-recyclable items and 10 kilograms of recyclable items were collected.
“I volunteered because cleaning up is a simple thing that I can do for the environment, yet it is very important. Clean surroundings can help reduce flooding and it can also prevent diseases from spreading,” explained Johnny Urbano from the APC Finance Department.
Maintaining clean surroundings sounds so simple, but many people find it hard to do. While many of us are aware of the negative effects of climate change, not all of us will do something about it. Through the Linis Serbisyo ng Ka-Aji 2011, APC wants to reinforce to its employees the importance of doing our own share of preserving our environment. This activity also teaches us that when we work together, our efforts can have a greater impact to the environment.”
Since 2008, APC has been implementing the Linis Serbisyo ng Ka-Aji program. It is APC’s participation to Ajinomoto Group’s Smile Earth! Program, a global campaign which addresses issues on environment, with the aim of contributing to the local community and to the society.
Bohol – One of Philippines Best Tourist Destinations
August 22, 2011 by Anita
Filed under Travel And Leisure
Peter Garant asked:
Bohol, a small island in central Philippines, is known for the world famous and unique Chocolate Hills. It is one of the country’s most popular tourist spots. It’s true though that when most people think of Bohol, almost nothing else comes to mind. It might surprise you that it is more than the usual tourist spot and that there’s more to explore and to see in this island than those limestone hill formations.
Bohol is home to pristine beach shores. Panglao Island, just minutes away from the capital Tagbilaran, is increasingly gaining more popularity among local and foreign tourists as a more laid-back and tranquil beach destination alternative to Boracay.
But if you’re the kind who’s not satisfied with having a few dips in the water and taking in spectacular beachfront views, Bohol will certainly not disappoint. Scuba divers have more than enough choices of world class diving spots surrounding the island. Colorful coral reefs and rich marine life will surely satisfy all types of explorers, from novice snorkelers to expert divers.
Another popular attraction is dolphin and whale watching. Pamilacan Island is headquarters to the best spotters that arrange these tours. Most were former hunters who joined the dolphin and whale watching program after the Philippine government banned the killing of these marine mammals.
Bohol’s exotic wildlife is not limited underwater. The island’s last remaining forests protect unique fauna. It is home to one of the world’s smallest primates, the tarsier. You can visit the Philippine Tarsier Foundation in Corella and see the timid and peculiar animal in its natural habitat.
The Rajah Sikatuna National Park, a large forest reserve near Bilar, is a bird-watcher’s paradise. Treks along the trails throughout the park can lead you to an encounter with some of the country’s rare bird species.
Bohol is also a place rich with culture and history. Century-old churches in Baclayon, Loboc, Loay, Maribojoc, Loon and Dauis are a few of the standing monuments. And there are old Spanish watchtowers in Punta Cruz, Dauis, Panglao and Pamilacan.
If you want to keep away from the province’s usual tourist trail, you can travel along the less popular eastern side of the island. It has some of the most amazing coastlines, and secluded beaches, from the town of Anda in the southeast to the town of Talibon in the north.
Some of the towns in Bohol also offer community-based tours. Calape, Maribojoc and Candijay are among such towns. It is a great option to visit these towns’ protected mangrove areas and experience the quaint rural life in this part of the country. These tours showcase how resolute the locals are in preserving the island’s natural environment.
But to really experience Bohol is to experience the people’s hospitality. Try visiting the island in May when town fiestas are celebrated almost everyday. You can hop from town to town without having to bring money other than for transportation. You’d surely be invited to residents’ homes and enjoy feasts of lechon baboy (roasted pig) and kinilaw (raw fish).
Bohol is an island blessed with so much bounty and natural beauty. There’s no argument about that. What sets it apart from other tourist spots is that there’s so much to explore and so much to do that it’s actually pretty difficult to decide which one to do first. Of course, you can’t pass up a visit to the impressive Chocolate Hills. But staying overnight at this famous spot just to see stunning sunrise and sunset over the surreal landscape will be well worth it.
Create a video blog
Bohol, a small island in central Philippines, is known for the world famous and unique Chocolate Hills. It is one of the country’s most popular tourist spots. It’s true though that when most people think of Bohol, almost nothing else comes to mind. It might surprise you that it is more than the usual tourist spot and that there’s more to explore and to see in this island than those limestone hill formations.
Bohol is home to pristine beach shores. Panglao Island, just minutes away from the capital Tagbilaran, is increasingly gaining more popularity among local and foreign tourists as a more laid-back and tranquil beach destination alternative to Boracay.
But if you’re the kind who’s not satisfied with having a few dips in the water and taking in spectacular beachfront views, Bohol will certainly not disappoint. Scuba divers have more than enough choices of world class diving spots surrounding the island. Colorful coral reefs and rich marine life will surely satisfy all types of explorers, from novice snorkelers to expert divers.
Another popular attraction is dolphin and whale watching. Pamilacan Island is headquarters to the best spotters that arrange these tours. Most were former hunters who joined the dolphin and whale watching program after the Philippine government banned the killing of these marine mammals.
Bohol’s exotic wildlife is not limited underwater. The island’s last remaining forests protect unique fauna. It is home to one of the world’s smallest primates, the tarsier. You can visit the Philippine Tarsier Foundation in Corella and see the timid and peculiar animal in its natural habitat.
The Rajah Sikatuna National Park, a large forest reserve near Bilar, is a bird-watcher’s paradise. Treks along the trails throughout the park can lead you to an encounter with some of the country’s rare bird species.
Bohol is also a place rich with culture and history. Century-old churches in Baclayon, Loboc, Loay, Maribojoc, Loon and Dauis are a few of the standing monuments. And there are old Spanish watchtowers in Punta Cruz, Dauis, Panglao and Pamilacan.
If you want to keep away from the province’s usual tourist trail, you can travel along the less popular eastern side of the island. It has some of the most amazing coastlines, and secluded beaches, from the town of Anda in the southeast to the town of Talibon in the north.
Some of the towns in Bohol also offer community-based tours. Calape, Maribojoc and Candijay are among such towns. It is a great option to visit these towns’ protected mangrove areas and experience the quaint rural life in this part of the country. These tours showcase how resolute the locals are in preserving the island’s natural environment.
But to really experience Bohol is to experience the people’s hospitality. Try visiting the island in May when town fiestas are celebrated almost everyday. You can hop from town to town without having to bring money other than for transportation. You’d surely be invited to residents’ homes and enjoy feasts of lechon baboy (roasted pig) and kinilaw (raw fish).
Bohol is an island blessed with so much bounty and natural beauty. There’s no argument about that. What sets it apart from other tourist spots is that there’s so much to explore and so much to do that it’s actually pretty difficult to decide which one to do first. Of course, you can’t pass up a visit to the impressive Chocolate Hills. But staying overnight at this famous spot just to see stunning sunrise and sunset over the surreal landscape will be well worth it.
Create a video blog
Broadcasting Pioneer Dzrh Turns 69 By: Susan Isorena-arcega
Isabel Tiong asked:
69 years ago, at exactly 6 in the morning, announcer Hal Bowie took his seat before a microphone in a little studio at the top of the Heacock Building in Escolta, and bid his unseen audience good morning. Thus was born the fourth commercial radio station to operate in Manila. In just a few years, with the entire Philippine archipelago caught in the maelstrom of the Second World War, the fledgling station – which took the call sign KZRH - would buck the challenge of history and remain as the only surviving radio station in the country.
Its auspicious beginnings as the mouthpiece of one of the largest department stores in the Pacific must have laid the groundwork for the station’s commercial viability all these years – a major factor in the survival of the so-called “stepchild of media arts.”
New as it was, KZRH management led by Bertrand Silen was not just armed with the technical know-how in radio operations, but likewise had fundamental marketing knowledge down pat. They knew what radio listeners liked and disliked.
Musical variety shows, comedy skits, and short newscasts were the order of the day. Jazz and ballads became standard fare. Together with American wit, the English language spread. KZRH found itself as an advertising medium, with sponsors like Purico underwriting specific shows which carried their names. Apart from 15-minute blocktime sold to advertisers, commercial spots mixing announcements with music were also produced. KZRH found itself amidst lucrative times.
Then came the grim shadow of war. The Japanese Imperial Army took over the sophisticated equipment, which eventually got blown sky-high by the Americans. And while Silen’s staff – considered the best in the Far East – found themselves either in Bataan, at the internment camps of Santo Tomas and Los Banos, within the guerilla movement, or simply felled by enemy bullets, plans for the rebirth of KZRH upon liberation were kept alive.
Upon being released, Silen sought help from the National Broadcasting Company in New York to secure new transmitters, and with the Elizalde family financing the new operations at the Insular Life Building on Plaza Cervantes, KZRH was back on the air under the auspices of Manila Broadcasting Company on July 1, 1946 – just in time to cover the inauguration of the new Republic.
Soon after, the International Telecommunications Union adjusted the call letters of Philippine radio, and all allusions to the western United States through the letter K were removed. Until today, all radio stations in the Philippines begin with the letter D.
What followed in the next three decades is now collectively known as the golden years of Philippine radio. Programming flourished and a new breed of radio personalities became cultural icons. As the recording industry grew, the live orchestras of yore soon gave way to music on vinyl. Cover versions and Disc Jockeys came into being. Radio dramas hit an unprecedented boom, eventually translating to the celluloid screen.
Lina Flor’s immortal Gulong ng Palad, which debuted in 1949, led a slew of soap operas that filled the airlanes in the mornings and afternoons. Because they had the housewives and sometimes the rest of the domestic ménage as captive audiences, these dramatic serials were strongly supported by major advertisers whose sales messages got very close attention through each saga. Radio dramas picked up on domestic relations, but also featured action, adventure, horror, and even murder-mysteries. Appealing to the imagination as well as to real-life need, DZRH secretaries fondly remember some callers even insisting on speaking to Ginang Hukom herself.
Indeed, DZRH easily adopted the habit of setting trends and institutionalizing them. Sportscasting dean Willie Hernandez, the network’s comptroller in the mid-fifties, lent his voice to sports coverages and in so doing, made legendary Filipino basketeers like Carlos Loyzaga, Francisco Rabat, and Luis Lorenzo household names.
The feisty commentator Rafael Yabut, also had his sterling years with DZRH. Starting out as the station electrician, he rose through the ranks to become the station’s PR man. Loyal fans kept glued to their radios when he hosted the game show Ruleta Musikal. On the top-rating Tayo’y Mag-aliw, Yabut dwelt on government and politics, family values, trivia, and entertainment.
But it is easily Dely Mapayo who has been – up to this day – the most widely known personality behind the microphone at DZRH. Her easy chatter, contagious laughter, and sparkling wit won her sponsors and hosts of listeners through her career’s work. From the PMC-backed Tugtugin Natin to Himig Panghapunan in vintage years, and eventually the starkly simple Tiya Dely, which DZRH still airs today, the lady and the station have remained synonymous for over 50 years. Radio quiz shows also emanated from the DZRH studios. In Spell-to-Win, household appliances were at stake for someone who could spell words like “bouillabaise”. On Best of the Band, popular crooner Bimbo Danao tried to stump the audience with his original game format a-la “name that tune.” And on Palmolive’s Knowledge Unlimited, even listeners contributed questions such as “what war took place in 1812?”
The Vicks Variety show opened doors for a new program format that addressed Tagalog-speaking audiences with pop-concert presentation of Philippine music. Singer Jimmie Navarro who won the DZRH radio popularity poll, replaced Mystery Singer Cecil Lloyd and teamed up with Priscilla in performing a new romantic duet every week. While listeners wrote to request old favorites, new compositions were also introduced to the public.
Letter-sending, has indeed, contributed greatly to the way DZRH developed over the years. Ira Davis, who produced the long-running programs of Philippine Manufacturing Company, patiently read through thousands of letters that came in every week. The notes were routed to management and gave them firsthand information on what sort of radio entertainment – even commercial copy – that listeners preferred. And the advertisers took note of those market preferences.
In later years, DZRH received more immediate feedback — through the telephone, through pocket pagers, through mobile technology, and today, through cyberspace. But the formula remains the same: innovate…improve…listen…keep the pulse. And decades hence, the station which survived the horrors of war is also surviving the competition. DZRH as the flagship station of Manila Broadcasting Company is proud to be the purveyor of news as it should be delivered, adhering to the highest standards of broadcasting excellence in the country. It continues to be a witness to Philippine history as it unfolds, and yet remains faithful to the mandate of fair and responsible journalism. In 1986 it was the only station that aired nationwide a detailed account of the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos. Three years later, DZRH reporters found themselves risking life and limb to keep the public abreast of the attempted coup d’etat, and manifesting its spirit of compassion to wounded rebel soldiers.
DZRH today boasts of veteran radioman Joe Taruc anchoring the DZRH team in defining the public affairs program genre from the Pinoy perspective. Despite the seeming erosion of the morning news by the telemagazines, Taruc remains confident that nothing beats the immediacy of radio.
DZRH News Director Andy Vital, on the other hand, has taken new media by the horns for the station’s benefit. Internet radio and live chats are used to maximize the station’s accessibility to audiences both here and abroad. He has also encouraged popular DZRH announcers like Ruth Abao and Rey Sibayan to maintain individual blogs. And with his iconic colleague “Lakay” Deo Macalma seemingly attuned to the secret lives of public figures and celebrities alike, vigilance in good governance through reports from his bubwits is still in keeping with the station’s mien for popular entertainment. But perhaps it is in the field of public service where DZRH has truly earned its merits. Through Operation Tulong – the station’s socio-civic arm first launched in 1978 – corporate social responsibility and anonymous Samaritans work hand in hand. Armed with their credo of Serbisyong Bayan, DZRH responds to the needs of the ordinary man-on-the-street with the same compassion and determination it devotes to massive disaster-relief operations, through networking support from advertisers, NGO’s, and government agencies.
On its 69th anniversary, DZRH will conduct a medical-dental mission in cooperation with the Philippine Medical Association, Gat. Andres Bonifacio Medical Center, the Department of Health, the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, PAGCOR, and other generous donors. DZRH has also invited the Optometrists Association of the Philippines to provide free eye examinations, with MBC donating 500 free eyeglasses. Teaming up with Islands Exhibit Link, the station will likewise hold a two-day Job Fair, with more than 40 participating companies and recruitment firms providing domestic and international work opportunities. DZRH has also invited the Public Attorney’s office, Batas Barangay, and their network of lawyers to provide free legal assistance. And for those availing of these public service offerings, DZRH is also serving free porridge (lugaw) as a gesture of unity with the masses who have supported them all these years.
Over a decade ago, the station embarked on a “One Nation, One Station” initiative, expanding its coverage to an unprecedented 97% of the Philippine archipelago. To date, DZRH is the only station in the country that is on the air nationwide 24/7 on stereo-quality, simulcast via satellite to relay stations in key provincial cities. Through all these, DZRH and the top brass at Manila Broadcasting Company have remained fully cognizant of their target listeners and have used this to master their programming thrust. They have convinced advertisers to support their efforts at activation and integration in reaching mass audiences. DZRH taps into the consciousness of the Pinoy, takes inherent socio-cultural phenomena like fiestas, raffles, and machismo sports. . . and actively makes them tick. At the same time, through creative thinking by the staff and high-quality execution by their announcers, DZRH has translated traditional broadcasting techniques like talk-radio and soap operas into productive and impacting forms of integration or product placement that have become increasingly more efficient in moving brands across a complex media landscape.
But it is the way DZRH announcers today relate to their listeners that truly spells the difference. It is a legacy handed down through generations of broadcasters who knew their audiences. It is foresight brought about by the changing of the times. It is a style acquired through personal interaction with the man-on-the-street. And it is a mantle of leadership, new experiences, and empathy toward mankind brought about by having made it through 69 years.
Congratulations, DZRH – kaunaunahan sa Pilipinas!
69 years ago, at exactly 6 in the morning, announcer Hal Bowie took his seat before a microphone in a little studio at the top of the Heacock Building in Escolta, and bid his unseen audience good morning. Thus was born the fourth commercial radio station to operate in Manila. In just a few years, with the entire Philippine archipelago caught in the maelstrom of the Second World War, the fledgling station – which took the call sign KZRH - would buck the challenge of history and remain as the only surviving radio station in the country.
Its auspicious beginnings as the mouthpiece of one of the largest department stores in the Pacific must have laid the groundwork for the station’s commercial viability all these years – a major factor in the survival of the so-called “stepchild of media arts.”
New as it was, KZRH management led by Bertrand Silen was not just armed with the technical know-how in radio operations, but likewise had fundamental marketing knowledge down pat. They knew what radio listeners liked and disliked.
Musical variety shows, comedy skits, and short newscasts were the order of the day. Jazz and ballads became standard fare. Together with American wit, the English language spread. KZRH found itself as an advertising medium, with sponsors like Purico underwriting specific shows which carried their names. Apart from 15-minute blocktime sold to advertisers, commercial spots mixing announcements with music were also produced. KZRH found itself amidst lucrative times.
Then came the grim shadow of war. The Japanese Imperial Army took over the sophisticated equipment, which eventually got blown sky-high by the Americans. And while Silen’s staff – considered the best in the Far East – found themselves either in Bataan, at the internment camps of Santo Tomas and Los Banos, within the guerilla movement, or simply felled by enemy bullets, plans for the rebirth of KZRH upon liberation were kept alive.
Upon being released, Silen sought help from the National Broadcasting Company in New York to secure new transmitters, and with the Elizalde family financing the new operations at the Insular Life Building on Plaza Cervantes, KZRH was back on the air under the auspices of Manila Broadcasting Company on July 1, 1946 – just in time to cover the inauguration of the new Republic.
Soon after, the International Telecommunications Union adjusted the call letters of Philippine radio, and all allusions to the western United States through the letter K were removed. Until today, all radio stations in the Philippines begin with the letter D.
What followed in the next three decades is now collectively known as the golden years of Philippine radio. Programming flourished and a new breed of radio personalities became cultural icons. As the recording industry grew, the live orchestras of yore soon gave way to music on vinyl. Cover versions and Disc Jockeys came into being. Radio dramas hit an unprecedented boom, eventually translating to the celluloid screen.
Lina Flor’s immortal Gulong ng Palad, which debuted in 1949, led a slew of soap operas that filled the airlanes in the mornings and afternoons. Because they had the housewives and sometimes the rest of the domestic ménage as captive audiences, these dramatic serials were strongly supported by major advertisers whose sales messages got very close attention through each saga. Radio dramas picked up on domestic relations, but also featured action, adventure, horror, and even murder-mysteries. Appealing to the imagination as well as to real-life need, DZRH secretaries fondly remember some callers even insisting on speaking to Ginang Hukom herself.
Indeed, DZRH easily adopted the habit of setting trends and institutionalizing them. Sportscasting dean Willie Hernandez, the network’s comptroller in the mid-fifties, lent his voice to sports coverages and in so doing, made legendary Filipino basketeers like Carlos Loyzaga, Francisco Rabat, and Luis Lorenzo household names.
The feisty commentator Rafael Yabut, also had his sterling years with DZRH. Starting out as the station electrician, he rose through the ranks to become the station’s PR man. Loyal fans kept glued to their radios when he hosted the game show Ruleta Musikal. On the top-rating Tayo’y Mag-aliw, Yabut dwelt on government and politics, family values, trivia, and entertainment.
But it is easily Dely Mapayo who has been – up to this day – the most widely known personality behind the microphone at DZRH. Her easy chatter, contagious laughter, and sparkling wit won her sponsors and hosts of listeners through her career’s work. From the PMC-backed Tugtugin Natin to Himig Panghapunan in vintage years, and eventually the starkly simple Tiya Dely, which DZRH still airs today, the lady and the station have remained synonymous for over 50 years. Radio quiz shows also emanated from the DZRH studios. In Spell-to-Win, household appliances were at stake for someone who could spell words like “bouillabaise”. On Best of the Band, popular crooner Bimbo Danao tried to stump the audience with his original game format a-la “name that tune.” And on Palmolive’s Knowledge Unlimited, even listeners contributed questions such as “what war took place in 1812?”
The Vicks Variety show opened doors for a new program format that addressed Tagalog-speaking audiences with pop-concert presentation of Philippine music. Singer Jimmie Navarro who won the DZRH radio popularity poll, replaced Mystery Singer Cecil Lloyd and teamed up with Priscilla in performing a new romantic duet every week. While listeners wrote to request old favorites, new compositions were also introduced to the public.
Letter-sending, has indeed, contributed greatly to the way DZRH developed over the years. Ira Davis, who produced the long-running programs of Philippine Manufacturing Company, patiently read through thousands of letters that came in every week. The notes were routed to management and gave them firsthand information on what sort of radio entertainment – even commercial copy – that listeners preferred. And the advertisers took note of those market preferences.
In later years, DZRH received more immediate feedback — through the telephone, through pocket pagers, through mobile technology, and today, through cyberspace. But the formula remains the same: innovate…improve…listen…keep the pulse. And decades hence, the station which survived the horrors of war is also surviving the competition. DZRH as the flagship station of Manila Broadcasting Company is proud to be the purveyor of news as it should be delivered, adhering to the highest standards of broadcasting excellence in the country. It continues to be a witness to Philippine history as it unfolds, and yet remains faithful to the mandate of fair and responsible journalism. In 1986 it was the only station that aired nationwide a detailed account of the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos. Three years later, DZRH reporters found themselves risking life and limb to keep the public abreast of the attempted coup d’etat, and manifesting its spirit of compassion to wounded rebel soldiers.
DZRH today boasts of veteran radioman Joe Taruc anchoring the DZRH team in defining the public affairs program genre from the Pinoy perspective. Despite the seeming erosion of the morning news by the telemagazines, Taruc remains confident that nothing beats the immediacy of radio.
DZRH News Director Andy Vital, on the other hand, has taken new media by the horns for the station’s benefit. Internet radio and live chats are used to maximize the station’s accessibility to audiences both here and abroad. He has also encouraged popular DZRH announcers like Ruth Abao and Rey Sibayan to maintain individual blogs. And with his iconic colleague “Lakay” Deo Macalma seemingly attuned to the secret lives of public figures and celebrities alike, vigilance in good governance through reports from his bubwits is still in keeping with the station’s mien for popular entertainment. But perhaps it is in the field of public service where DZRH has truly earned its merits. Through Operation Tulong – the station’s socio-civic arm first launched in 1978 – corporate social responsibility and anonymous Samaritans work hand in hand. Armed with their credo of Serbisyong Bayan, DZRH responds to the needs of the ordinary man-on-the-street with the same compassion and determination it devotes to massive disaster-relief operations, through networking support from advertisers, NGO’s, and government agencies.
On its 69th anniversary, DZRH will conduct a medical-dental mission in cooperation with the Philippine Medical Association, Gat. Andres Bonifacio Medical Center, the Department of Health, the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, PAGCOR, and other generous donors. DZRH has also invited the Optometrists Association of the Philippines to provide free eye examinations, with MBC donating 500 free eyeglasses. Teaming up with Islands Exhibit Link, the station will likewise hold a two-day Job Fair, with more than 40 participating companies and recruitment firms providing domestic and international work opportunities. DZRH has also invited the Public Attorney’s office, Batas Barangay, and their network of lawyers to provide free legal assistance. And for those availing of these public service offerings, DZRH is also serving free porridge (lugaw) as a gesture of unity with the masses who have supported them all these years.
Over a decade ago, the station embarked on a “One Nation, One Station” initiative, expanding its coverage to an unprecedented 97% of the Philippine archipelago. To date, DZRH is the only station in the country that is on the air nationwide 24/7 on stereo-quality, simulcast via satellite to relay stations in key provincial cities. Through all these, DZRH and the top brass at Manila Broadcasting Company have remained fully cognizant of their target listeners and have used this to master their programming thrust. They have convinced advertisers to support their efforts at activation and integration in reaching mass audiences. DZRH taps into the consciousness of the Pinoy, takes inherent socio-cultural phenomena like fiestas, raffles, and machismo sports. . . and actively makes them tick. At the same time, through creative thinking by the staff and high-quality execution by their announcers, DZRH has translated traditional broadcasting techniques like talk-radio and soap operas into productive and impacting forms of integration or product placement that have become increasingly more efficient in moving brands across a complex media landscape.
But it is the way DZRH announcers today relate to their listeners that truly spells the difference. It is a legacy handed down through generations of broadcasters who knew their audiences. It is foresight brought about by the changing of the times. It is a style acquired through personal interaction with the man-on-the-street. And it is a mantle of leadership, new experiences, and empathy toward mankind brought about by having made it through 69 years.
Congratulations, DZRH – kaunaunahan sa Pilipinas!
Philippine Travel: Ongpin Aka Chinatown
Dan Eggers asked:
If your Asia tour includes a long stay in the Philippines, we suggest that you add in a visit to Ongpin or Chinatown, which is how most people call it as well, as part of your travel program, especially if you’ll in Manila – the capital city of the country – for a while yet.
Ongpin or Chinatown may not be as popular as other places in the Philippines but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be part of your travel schedule. Not only is a visit to Ongpin guaranteed to be delightful in more ways than one, it also won’t cost you much because prices in Ongpin are more affordable than what you’d find in other cities like Makati or even Quezon City.
Ongpin is also mainly a residential town so it’s easier to tour the place rather than other cities, which would require you to take on huge buses and six-wheeler trucks just to cross the street.
Because Ongpin is not that big a town, the streets are mostly narrow, winding and filled with people. If you’re planning to drive your own car to Ongpin, you might be forced then to park somewhere and walk for the rest of the time you’ll be spending in Binondo. But that’s not really much of a punishment – except for your feet, if you’re wearing high heels! – because a lot of people really prefer to wander around Ongpin by foot.
Food Shopping
Fruits – Almost all kinds of fruits are sold in the streets of Ongpin and if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you could try out some of the exotic fruits being offered by street vendors such as the mangosteen or the huge apple-mango. Highly popular with the Filipino Chinese residents of Ongpin are rambutan, longgans, lanzones and chicos. When you get to Ongpin, be sure that you do try all those fruits and more since one can never get fat with fruits, anyway.
Delicacies – When you get to Ongpin, do be sure that you’ll be able to make a pit stop at any of the Chinese food stores of Ongpin. One of the most popular stores of this type is Eng Bee Tin. There, you’ll be able to find all sorts of Chinese delicacies that people back home would surely be delighted with.
Main Dishes – Tired after walking nonstop for an hour or so? If that’s the case, we suggest that you try relaxing your feet on any of the restaurants located in Ongpin. Try out popular Chinese dishes and the exotic ones as well so your trip to Ongpin will be truly memorable.
If your Asia tour includes a long stay in the Philippines, we suggest that you add in a visit to Ongpin or Chinatown, which is how most people call it as well, as part of your travel program, especially if you’ll in Manila – the capital city of the country – for a while yet.
Ongpin or Chinatown may not be as popular as other places in the Philippines but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be part of your travel schedule. Not only is a visit to Ongpin guaranteed to be delightful in more ways than one, it also won’t cost you much because prices in Ongpin are more affordable than what you’d find in other cities like Makati or even Quezon City.
Ongpin is also mainly a residential town so it’s easier to tour the place rather than other cities, which would require you to take on huge buses and six-wheeler trucks just to cross the street.
Because Ongpin is not that big a town, the streets are mostly narrow, winding and filled with people. If you’re planning to drive your own car to Ongpin, you might be forced then to park somewhere and walk for the rest of the time you’ll be spending in Binondo. But that’s not really much of a punishment – except for your feet, if you’re wearing high heels! – because a lot of people really prefer to wander around Ongpin by foot.
Food Shopping
Fruits – Almost all kinds of fruits are sold in the streets of Ongpin and if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you could try out some of the exotic fruits being offered by street vendors such as the mangosteen or the huge apple-mango. Highly popular with the Filipino Chinese residents of Ongpin are rambutan, longgans, lanzones and chicos. When you get to Ongpin, be sure that you do try all those fruits and more since one can never get fat with fruits, anyway.
Delicacies – When you get to Ongpin, do be sure that you’ll be able to make a pit stop at any of the Chinese food stores of Ongpin. One of the most popular stores of this type is Eng Bee Tin. There, you’ll be able to find all sorts of Chinese delicacies that people back home would surely be delighted with.
Main Dishes – Tired after walking nonstop for an hour or so? If that’s the case, we suggest that you try relaxing your feet on any of the restaurants located in Ongpin. Try out popular Chinese dishes and the exotic ones as well so your trip to Ongpin will be truly memorable.
