Blog Feed: JAYtography : An Online Travelogue

Exploring Ifugao and the Banaue Rice Terraces

Published on 2012-04-30 11:34:00

When visiting the Philippines, the northern part of the country is usually one of the many places tourists are flabbergasted of. And among the many tourist-friendly provinces up north is Ifugao. > read more

Visita Iglesia: More Fun in the Philippines

Published on 2012-04-06 21:16:00

Holy Week is the time of the year here in the Philippines where aside from reflecting and commemorating the last week of Lent in preparation for the Easter, people also look back at the history of the country. Visita Iglesia (Church Visit), one important Holy Week tradition in the Philippines is a common practice which started back in the 70's. People, especially Catholic devotees, hop from church to church to pray and recite all fourteen stations of the cross.Visiting different churches in the [..] > read more

I Got Hooked! It's More Fun in the Philippines

Published on 2012-01-08 23:35:00

It's been a few days since the Department of Tourism launched its 2012 campaign. And its new slogan "It's more fun in the Philippines" I can say has been successful since its inception because it has created a buzz online, leaving the netizens hooked into digging up their creative minds to come up with their own More fun in the Philippines caption.And, yes, I am among those who got hooked. Today, I searched on my archives, downloaded the Harabara (the official font) and did quick editing to come [..] > read more

Nuvali and the Missing Kois, Sta. Rosa Laguna

Published on 2011-12-24 20:00:00

When visiting Laguna, I'm sure you've heard of this popular place called Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, developed by the Ayala Land, Inc. The first thing that comes to my mind whenever I hear Nuvali are the Koi fishes! Yes, it has this man-made pond and it has hundreds of hungry koi fishes (see photo below) and you get to feed them. And no, I haven't seen them face to face yet-- sad to say, when I went there for the first time last month, the pond is under renovation and it's all drained up, so no koi fis [..] > read more

Subic Food Trip: Meat Plus Cafe and Steakhouse

Published on 2011-12-13 21:49:00

Subic in Olongapo, Zambales is known to most of us as a place to buy cheap imported goods because of the duty free shops that sprouted like mushrooms all over the former naval base; second: Subic is a place you would fall in love with if you are a fan of the sun and the beach. Yes, that's probably what Subic is best-known for, but there's more to that to tell you honestly. And I'm not talking about extreme sports, water adventure, zoo or whatever. This time, it's all about FOOD.One of my recent [..] > read more

Mövenpick Resort & Spa (former Hilton) Mactan Cebu

Published on 2011-12-06 06:27:00

The Floating Restaurant, Mövenpick Resort & SpaMactan Island is just one of the many tourist magnet destinations in the province of Cebu because of its beautiful beaches and breath-taking views of mountains and coastlines. And if it's your first time to visit the province and you want to quickly jump off a white-sand beach, Mövenpick Resort & Spa formerly Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa is one the best near-airport hotel choices. Yes, Mövenpick is just a few kilometers away (a roughly 10-minute driv [..] > read more

Affordable Luxury Vacation: Lewis Grand Hotel, Pampanga

Published on 2011-11-22 05:51:00

Last Halloween, instead of spending the night with booze and some same-old scary costumes, we decided to to just "wash" it off and soak up the sun. We gave the holiday a new kind of twist which is very much different from how we celebrated it in the past. This time, a very relaxing and "satisfaction guaranteed" vacation with friends.We checked-in at Lewis Grand Hotel, located in Friendship Highway, Clark Perimeter in Pampanga. I actually didn't expect too much because the room rates are quite af [..] > read more

Taal Volcano & Taal Lake View from Tagaytay City

Published on 2011-11-07 20:20:00

One of the best locations to view the ever serene and recently controversial Taal Volcano is through the side of Tagaytay along the strip of Aguinaldo Highway where hotels and view decks are lined up to cater to tourists. We randomly "checked-in" (we didn't actually check into their rooms) at Taal Vista Hotel and I was so happy and surprised because they have the perfect viewing podium for shutter-happy dudes like me; with all those elevated tiny hills, lush greenery and shades- perfect for fam [..] > read more

Eco-friendly Delsey Green Days Backpack for the Techie

Published on 2011-11-06 06:45:00

I recently bought a laptop bag and it's my favorite so far. It's a backpack from Delsey's Green Days luggage collection which I bought at Travel Club in SM City Clark. Probably one of the luckiest days of my life because they were on sale that same day- not just a typical sale, but a staggering 50% off! The original price is Php 2,940 and I got it for only Php 1,470! Imagine that savings! :)The backpacks come in two colors- Brick (maroon) and Anthracite Grey (the one I have). What I like about t [..] > read more

Subic: Beach Weekend and All Things Edible!

Published on 2011-10-25 23:49:00

There is nothing more satisfying than to spend an entire weekend under the sun, in a beach and pig-out as if there's no tomorrow- and spice it up with the company of some great friends! That's what we exactly did few weeks ago in Subic. Francis, a good friend of mine licked this trip into shape way back, but it's just recently that all of us got to finally agree with the schedule. I've been to Subic a couple of times but this experience is one hell of a fun trip! The beach and I are really not g [..] > read more

Hacienda Macalauan: Home of Gatas Tisoy and Lavish Scenery

Published on 2011-10-08 11:59:00

When I was in Laguna, I had the chance to visit for the first time a dairy farm and see hundreds of cows (and bulls. Yes there were bulls, too!) being raised for fresh milk. Thanks Grace Nicolas for touring us around Laguna! Hacienda Macalauan, located at Brgy. Mabacan, Calauan, Laguna, is one of the biggest sources of dairy products in the province and famous for their fresh milk without added antibiotics, growth hormones or any other chemicals.The place is soo green!!Cows, cows....and more cow [..] > read more

Food Tripping: Doing the Things I Love

Published on 2011-10-06 23:59:00

Nothing identifies us Filipinos other than the food we eat, our cuisine. So on this post, I will be sharing some of my memorable food trips around the Philippines.In case you didn’t know, there is an on-going “star search” (naks) for the first ever Soo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger. Soo Pinoy aims to introduce different Filipino cuisine along with the history and the best places to find these dishes. I know! This is another “Pilipinas Tara Na!” opportunity so I took this chance to join t [..] > read more

Jose Rizal's 150th Birth Anniversary at Fort Santiago

Published on 2011-06-19 23:57:00

"Rain or shine, the show must go on." The 150th birth anniversary celebration of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal at Fort Santiago was epic. We, the Blogwatch team graced the event as if it was a red carpet event - all wearing Filipiniana > read more

Jose Rizal at 150: The Legacies of a Filipino Hero

Published on 2011-06-14 22:28:00

Dr. Jose Rizal is a great inspiration to the Filipino people especially to the youth because his life, ideas and philosophies serve as our encouragement in taking pride in our country and reaching for our aspirations. He stood up for what he believed > read more

Threat to Seas is Threat to Humans! Save Philippine Seas!

Published on 2011-06-06 10:42:00

The coral reefs are home to millions of marine living things. And the Philippines is among the countries to have the most abundant and most diverse underwater ecosystems on the planet. These underwater environs are very essential that they are known > read more

The Great Road Trip: Banaue - Sagada - Baguio - La Union

Published on 2011-06-04 20:46:00

This year's Holy Week celebration was one of the most memorable summer vacations that I've ever had. Along with a couple of old friends and some new friends from the Up With People group, we went on the road for three days and went mountain hopping ( > read more

Smiling Alone? It's Normal When You're on BlackBerry Messenger

Published on 2011-06-02 23:27:00

I am a very outgoing person and I always make sure that I stay connected with my friends. Thanks to Twitter, Facebook, and all those social networking sites. Name it, I’ve got it! With BlackBerry, it is so easy to stay connected with your circle of > read more

Fashion Dolls by Cholo Ayuyao and Noel Calma

Published on 2011-05-30 03:37:00

The local government of Angeles city in participation with the Museo ning Angeles (Angeles Museum) holds a monthly program called Art in the Park which is held every last Friday of the month in front of the Museo ning Angeles. This event aims to gath > read more

Pochero sa Abuhan: Cebu's Wonder Bulalo

Published on 2011-05-14 01:47:00

I know guys, I know. Easy! The title might seem a little confusing. The same thing happened to me the first time I went to Cebu and heard of this. But I'm warning you: get your bibs ready because you will drool big time while reading this post. Appa > read more

Ibon-Ebon (Birds-Eggs) Festival of Candaba Pampanga

Published on 2011-05-11 02:11:00

The Ibon Ebon Festival (Birds and Eggs Festival - February 1 to 2) of Candaba in Pampanga is one of the biggest festivities celebrated in the province that has been running successfully for three years now. This celebration is dedicated to the famous > read more

Try Something Greek at Cyma Estiatorio in Greenbelt

Published on 2011-05-11 01:02:00

This post was actually first published last year on my old blog. I thought of migrating all of my blog entries from other accounts and compile it here in my official blog. [Manila, May 29, 2010] Due to the wonders of today's techology and thanks to > read more

The Helios Project International Just Got Bigger and Awesome'r

Published on 2011-05-06 22:05:00

Well, I don't need to elaborate the title more. Just let photos do the bragging. The Helios Project International has never been this big. And oh, FYI, the group photo here is not even a full blast cast since a lot of the new members were still not a > read more

Easter: "I'm Alive because You Died and Rose Again"

Published on 2011-04-22 23:10:00

Crucify Him! Crucify Him! What if you were condemned to death without doing anything that is against any law? In other words, you're innocent, pure and free of guilt on what they're accusing you but still you have no stand to prove them wrong. You ca > read more

Instagram Captivates the Filipinos [Manila, Philippines]

Published on 2011-04-20 08:26:00

Instagram is a free photo sharing and social networking platform that allows iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users to take photos, add different filter effects and instantly share them via a timeline feed in which your followers can view. To those who ar > read more

Xtremely Xpresso's Spanish Sardines Pizza and Seafood Spaghetti

Published on 2011-04-14 23:29:00

I can't help but blog about the food that I ate in Xtremely Xpresso at MarQuee Mall. Last Saturday, since I have no pending works to do, I asked a couple of friends to go to the mall- to shop and to eat. And soon after shopping, we had dinner at Xtre > read more

The Helios Project Cebu Photography Workshop Group Photo

Published on 2011-03-31 09:14:00

Click on the image to be redirected to the Facebook album. More details to come about this fun fun fun Cebu event! :) > read more

CEBU, Philippines: There's Always a First Time for Everything

Published on 2011-03-29 22:45:00

I've been hearing a lot of great comments and reviews about one of Philippines' largest provinces, the Queen City of the South, Cebu. I can't believe that throughout my 20 plus years of existence, it's only now that I got the chance to step on the Ce > read more

Cebu Invasion: The Helios Project Photography Workshop

Published on 2011-02-10 07:28:00

Calling all aspiring and budding photographers from Cebu. We, The Helios Project Philippines, a team of photographers and visual artists based in Manila will be holding a photography workshop on March 19 2011. The back to back workshop will involve B > read more

Why Do We Shout in Anger?

Published on 2011-01-20 22:18:00

A saint asked his disciples, "Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?" Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, "Because we lose our calm, we shout because of that." "But, wh > read more

Waste Management: Getting Rid of a Social Cancer

Published on 2011-01-19 09:30:00

Solid waste is one of the major concerns in the country today and actually, even years way back. Chemicals and gases filling the atmosphere contribute a lot in the climate change resulting to the unusual behavior of Mother Nature. The growing consump > read more

Weekend Treat at New Well Being Spa Resort at Lohas Hotel, Clark Pampanga

Published on 2011-01-17 06:24:00

Saturday was yet again another fun fun fun weekend because my usual rest day turned into a "pamper-yourself day". We spent the day at the New Well Being Spa Resort of the Lohas Hotel in Clark and indulged ourselves with a full body Swedish > read more

"Manila in 30 Images" Project with YoPho!

Published on 2010-12-17 21:25:00

Last week, Young Photographers Philippines or YoPho arranged a photo bonding for its members and also as a chance to get to know everyone especially the new recruits. The event was titled: "Manila in 30 Images". Basically, it was a tour aro > read more

Vacation in Arizona via Scottsdale Rental Homes

Published on 2010-12-16 00:18:00

When was the last time you spent quality time with your family or loved ones? I am sure that most of you are becoming so hooked-up in the office lately that you tend to forget spending time with your spouse or kids. Nothing can be sweeter than taking > read more

Young Photographers Philippines (YoPho!) - Are U One of Us?

Published on 2010-12-01 07:53:00

Hey! I know I have been inactive in the blogosphere for quite a while and I owe you guys a lot. It's just that school and work eat most of my time lately plus a few random activities which I had to attend to during my so-called hiatus mode. Well, one > read more

Beware of Rich Vincent C. Arocena. Secure Your Photos

Published on 2010-11-21 07:53:00

A certain Rich Vincent C. Arocena who is also from the Philippines caught my attention today. Mr. Arocena used two of my photos for a contest which is run by the National Geographic Channel Asia. He removed/cropped my watermarked name on the photos. > read more

San Francisco, a Perfect Balance of Culture and Pleasure

Published on 2010-10-20 01:55:00

When traveling to Uncle Sam's country, San Francisco is definitely one of the best options at hand. The city where the hippie movement sprouted in the sixties has many interesting places to see and a fun leisure that spans the entire bay. The best w > read more

Business Cards of Your Choice

Published on 2010-10-14 01:45:00

Business cards are a vestige of the busy social life of the nineteenth century, in which they are primarily used to confirm the realization of a social visit. Once you have decided to start your own business, one of the first things you should do is > read more

Parks and Resorts Fit for the Season

Published on 2010-10-13 23:32:00

Everybody tends to like the holidays. It’s among the few enjoyable moments in our existence so we should not take that chance for granted. Among the ways to use those “unwinding days” is by traveling. It is one of the most widespread practice a > read more