Turn Back the Clock

Exterior shot of Rizal Shrine, the birthplace of Philippines' national hero Jose Rizal, in Calamba, Laguna.

Windows to the Past

Pycor through Rentokil and National Historical Institute have given free termiticide treatment worth Php150,000 to Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna. Through the years, those pesky termites remain the number one problem of homes, especially those with National Historical Institute markers. The house of our national hero, Rizal, welcomes around 200,000 walk-in visitors yearly. It offers a glimpse to 19th century living in 3D all for free. This is one home worth preserving for ages.

Color Coded

The penchant for colors of MMDA, the government office in charge of Manila's vehicle and pedestrian traffic, is never more illustrated in its public toilet -- there's orange yellow, electric blue and of course, shocking pink.

Feeling Blue

Or sleepy? A woman in Ice Monster, Banawe, Quezon City.

Lineage II

Working for a company like Asian Media Development Group, distributor of popular software RPG games, is the coolest since work is play or vice versa. I will not mind doing overtime.

apparition

Here's a brain teaser. If there's Buddha Bar in Paris and other major cities in the world which spawned copycats, I wonder how people would feel if someone put up a Jesus Bar?

Black Cat Crossing

The Fuji-YKL Print Shop on Sto. Domingo has surprised me lately: in my last three visits they produced 10 pieces of 10x15 enlargements in less than 10 minutes. Now, I am confused whether it's good or bad.

Cafe Encyclea

If you are in Ortigas, be sure not to miss Cafe Enclea near the POEA office. It's Asiatype's showroom cum cafe. You'll be glad that the maps and guidebooks here including the newest edition of The Lonely Planet Guide: Philippines are cheaper by few hundred pesos.

PBA Kasama Ko

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Kasama Ko outreach program in Cavite last weekend is truly laudable. It assembled a team of doctors, hairstylists, and pharmaceutical personnel to give free medical consultation, haircut, and medicines respectively. However, it easily turned into a familiar circus as one executive of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) hogged the photographers' lens too often for comfort. Strike one?

Power Lines

Having a house below high tension power lines is not something I will deliberately choose in this lifetime after I read from somewhere that it's a probable cause of cancer. Most residents along Aguinaldo highway in Bacoor, Cavite think otherwise.

Here Comes the Dragon

It's the eve of Chinese New Year and Mr. Fire Pig is just a couple of hours away. The Dragon sends his shoutout.

Ominous

Sand traps will always be a golfer's bane. Just when his ball soars over fairways and rough, and green is so close, it ends on the beach. The gray clouds and Tim Burtonesque tree seem an ominous sign.

Retro Line

How about this one Nokia? An antique phone in an ancestral house in Iloilo.

It Took Balls

It took balls for the National Historical Institute to award the Philippines' oldest golf course recognition to Iloilo Golf Club. While Baguio Golf and Country Club and Zamboanga Golf Club vie for the title, it's only Iloilo Golf Club which has physical evidence to solidfy its claim: turn-of-the-century gutta percha balls found in its pond 20 years ago.

Uncle John's

There's a new hamburger fastfood joint in town. It's called Uncle John's and it's a true blue fastfood junkie's heaven offering pizzas and double burgers at very reasonable price. The absence of a mascot resembling a giant bee or a queer clown is such a welcome respite.

Double Take

It occurred to me recently that the most noticeable difference between a seasoned singer (Zsa Zsa Padilla) and a starting one (Toni Gonzaga) is the way they look when they hit the high notes: Zsa Zsa can do it smiling.

Air Race

It's the last day of the 11th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta at Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga. And tried as I might to secure a slot in the 22 balloons flying out for the day, I couldn't because everyone's going for the race. And in hot air balloon parlance, it's all about accuracy instead of speed. For more info, click on your favorite wikipedia.

Fish Be With You

What will a Pinoy airshow like without tiangge (bazaars) and in this year's Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, the stall that sells miniature hot air balloons and fabric fishes is king. People find the balloons (starting from Php120) as the definitive souvenirs.

Paraglide for Two

How about it? This Valentine's Day why don't you and your date paraglide towards sunset. It's the kinda thing you'll be glad there are strings attached.

Flagged It

A day in the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta always start with skydivers from the Philippine Air Force jumping off to the cue of the Philippine national anthem.

Bamban shortcut

Not known to many, there's a quick shortcut from Bamban bridge going to Capas, Tarlac which frees you from the snarl of tricycles, jeepneys and kuligligs along MacArthur Highway. Just take the sharp right turn after the bridge.

Butt, of course

Who is the tall guy in G-strings in front of the Department of Tourism main office near Luneta Park? I am guessing it's Lapu-Lapu, the slayer of Ferdinand Magellan; or Rajah Solayman, one of Manila's pre-Hispanic leaders.

Revisiting Luneta

It's been four years since I have last been to Rizal Park, otherwise known as Luneta or Bagumbayan. Do you believe that? I am glad to see that the national park has shed (just a weebit) of its shadiness. This afternoon, I see students from nearby high school doing play and dance rehearsals in the park's grassy nooks.

Kid's Play

I got the chance to preview the finalists of the recent PLDT-DPC Visual Art Competition and experienced first hand how the judges shortlist the winners. Not surprisingly, we saw a lot of "gimmickry" among the students' entries as inclusion of 3D objects in their paintings like clocks, slippers, etc. to hide their shimmering flaw -- a basic knowledge of drawing anatomically correct figures.

Back in Manila

This is the sight that greeted me in the airport -- after a week in Western Visayas. Nice.

Fish Cubes

Sutukil (sugba, tuwa, kilaw) market and restaurants near Lapu-Lapu Shrine in Mactan, Cebu never fails to baffle most Manila residents with the freshest sea bounty laid out for personal pickings. It's not so much of the variety -- because there's always Manila's SM Hypermarket in Mall of Asia or the neighboring Seaside restaurants -- but the fresh fishes' bright, rainbow colors. The colors will just blow you away -- it's like shooting with the almost extinct Velvia in this pixel age.

Distraction

After a week in Western Visayas, I come back to Manila to discover most of the shops in EDSA Shangri-la Mall are on sale. Naturally, the wife is happy to tag along. The red color should serve as a warning to all wallets.