Ina Yoon Signed by Solaire

Good news for Golf fanatics as the folks from Solaire Resort North recently signed Korean Golf superstar Ina Yoon as their brand ambassador in this side of the world. The famous lady golfer is now the KLPGA Player of the Year and her performance in recent matches was just phenomenal and they're raring to see her LPGA tour participation.

She is now part of several athletes that Solaire Resort North is supporting. Ina was thankful about their help in making sure she accomplishes her goals as she vies for a place in the LGPA tour. She promises to do good in every tournament she joins.

For those who don't know, Solaire Resort North is one of the newest luxury spot, entertainment and dining destination. PSY and Anne Curtis are also ambassadors of the same brand. If you want to know more about the place, you may visit sn.solaireresort.com.

Authentic German Club OKTOBERFEST Happens at Solaire North!

I've been going to the German Club Manila's celebration for years now, and this time, Solaire Resort and the German Club Manila is hosting OKTOBERFEST celebrations at the Grand Ballroom of Solaire North this coming October 19th and 20. Solaire Resort North is pretty new, and they plan to put out the best of the best German dishes and the finest brews from Weihenstephaner, the official one for Oktoberfest. Music as tradition requires will be done by the folks from Bavarian Sound Express, and I know they'll be doing it all night at the venue. For sure, you're going to have to dance a bit, and do more later on in the evening of the 19th.

Meanwhile, if you're up for some real family fun, Oktoberfest for you at Solaire North will be absolutely awesome with a ton of activities designed for kids like the Bouncy Castle, German Costume Photo Booths, Face Painting Sessions, and Carnival Games at the hotel. Oktoberfest will also be overloaded with discount stays of over 20 percent (their Bed and Breakfast Rate on the 18th to 20th) that includes buffet breakfast at their signature restaurant FRESH.

At Oktoberfest, expect tons of breads, pretzels, Obatzda, Wiesen jause, Munchner Wurstsalat, Kartoffelsalat and German potato salad. I love my Rostbratwurst, Frankfurters, Goulash, Apple Strudel, and more! If you're raring to go, get your tickets now at Oktoberfest.ph to make sure your kind of Oktoberfest is authentic, and do it as the Germans do in the heart of Quezon City. I've seen it, done it, and I'm going back there for more on this weekend! You should too, take a well deserved break that is THIS fun!

See you there!

Home or Investment for OFW's: Asterra

We all have friends, relatives who have worked abroad and much of them have sent money home so their families live a comfortable life, pay for bills, the education of their kids, put food on the table and roof over their heads.

Asterra is the most recent affordable housing project of Vista Land and Golden MV holdings. This is owned by Manny Villar who has seen continous growth in the market. This will be laid on ground in different parts of the country and is planned to be offered for those who are just starting a family, young professionals, those engaged in businesses, and overseas Filipino workers who's dreams include a home of their own in thriving cities across the Philippines.

This is certainly something that they see would be a very good investment opportunity for OFW's too either to rent out or have it be a place of their own. It's an opportune time to do it now since the real estate market is still pretty low in Asterra North Luzon according to their Division Head Neil Almonte. Rentals have certainly been a lucrative way to become a passive income if you're out of the country. They have really well designed condo units with concierge, security, and a community that is close to markets, the church and places you can go to relax on your spare time.  

If you're interested, you may check out their official website asterra.com.ph or AsterraOfficial on Facebook. They can also answer your questions if you think the time to go and invest here is now!

Saving Dying Dialects: Lessons from HULAGWAY

I took the lovely trip to Cinema 76 at Anonas in Quezon City to see Director Alvin Yapan's latest work called HULAGWAY: Dokyumentaryo ng mga Wika at Kulturang Filipino (A documentary of Filipino Language and Culture) a few days ago. Dr. Yapan was tapped by the National Commitee on Language amd Translation under the offices of NCCA (The National Comission for the Culture and the Arts) to direct this film. 

Hulagway means "a portrait" and this film lengthily has taken a look at the person, how one lives, how they communicate with their peers or the community. There are also a lot of metaphorical representation of their struggles, even if they're literally not working with a script, the conversations was molded off how language was used as a tool to enrich lives with stories, songs and poems deeply rooted in culture. 

 

Needless to say, he's a genius when it comes to really complex artsy topics like these and interpreting it for cinema must have been a tall task. His treatment in telling this one is like a documentary. He anchors it with two characters Consuelo (played by Sue Prado) and Robert (which is played by Kalil Almonte). They took the long hard trek to far flung communities in the eastern side of Isabela (up north) and islands off Palawan. 

Imagine, they started this in 2018 and had to work together with only 15 other crew carrying with them loads of equipment to capture unadulterated views, communities and the few men and women who still have a grasp of the dying languages Dupaninan Agta and Tandulanen Tagbanua. This is officially the most difficult film Alvin Yapan has ever made, he made mention of this during the talk we had after the screening. Initially, they had planned to include 6/7 of them (dialects/languages) but the material was too precious to cut off the block. It was also a little too tedious as it involved time consuming research, with little information from various universities (mostly from outside the country) who have conducted studies about them in previous years, they roughed the process of filming and took on talking to the few descendants left who still have a grasp of the language. My favorite scene was the boat traversing a line of mangroves in Palawan, they talked about that on the video.

 

Here's the press conference in two parts where they explained the film and the cause of saving the dialects from these two regions.

During the latter part of the press conference I asked about what concrete plans they have about saving the dying dialect, and they replied that this is just the first step, to become aware, educated, and acknowledge that there is something precious to save. 

The plan is to also have this film be viewed by educational institutions to not just prove its existence, but to formulate a way to find ways to have people teach these dialects and pass on to the next generation. To not lose their identity as IP, and celebrate their uniqueness, their differences, which makes them cool. If this sparks efforts to do so not just from the government, but the citizens of this country, then this film made its mark. Make sure to coordinate with NCCA if you want your school to be part of the film's tour in the coming months. There's more languages/dialects to save in the country, and telling their story is essential.

Make sure to watch it. It'll be life changing!

Kinetix Lab Opens UP Town Center Branch

Folks over at Katipunan and nearby Commonwealth areas should be rejoicing as there's a new fitness center catered to strengthening your body, mind and heart. It's called Kinetix Lab located at the UP Town Center. Honestly, the community needs one in that place and with this opening its doors, there's hope it'll benefit a lot of people in Quezon City.

Coach Marlon Lugue of Kinetix Lab says "Having physical, mental and emotional strength is the key to a more fulfilling life. This is what you will find in Kinetix Lab's newest branch in UP Town Center. Out goal is to bring out the stronger version of yourself. We want you to feel at home no matter how many days you've spent working out. We'll help and support you to achieve your goals together with our tight knit community. We have state of the art equipment, a fitness center that's accessible especially for those who are located in nearby areas. We've changed hundreds of lives and we continue to deliver our promise with passion, and heartfelt manner."

Kinetix Lab is a power lifting centric gym, but no matter what shape or form you start you will get to find your power together with health buffs, pros and help support each other. If this interests you, check out their YouTube channel over at YouTube.com/c/KinetixLab and be part of their movement to get stronger days ahead!

Good Refuge in the North: BRIA Homes in Pampanga

It's been a wild two years for all of us and I'm sure, you've seen countless people opt to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and live elsewhere. Even TV programs suddenly went to Pampanga and set up a studio there just to get a glimpse of the countryside life and have a lee way in a safe place,

Aside from the sights, the community, Pampanga is certainly a culinary destination. It's a place that home buyers would love to live in. BRIA Homes has always built their projects in prime locations like this mega city in the north San Fernando and a first class municipality like Magalang in Pampanga. People flock in San Fernando during the holidays for the yearly Ligligan Parul or Giant Lantern Festival. The communities in Magalang are also perfect to raise a family. BRIA Homes San Fernando and Magalang are kept secured, built with quality in mind and also affordable. It's why a lot of OFW's, people who are starting a family chose to live here. It's near historic places, malls, local markets and restaurants so you don't go hungry when you're here. It's also near Mabalacat and Concepcion townships, plus, it's easy to move in. BRIA model houses like the Elena and Airene are really good row houses. The 2 storey Angeli Duplex, Bettina, Angelique and Angeli can cater those who would prefer a different setup, there's really a lot you could choose from. If you want to take a look at it from the comforts of your home, you can get detailed 360 Virtual Tours via bria.com.ph. You may inquire also via BriaHomesOfficial on Facebook or their site onlinereservation.bria.com.ph which is safe and lovely. They've got green spaces, sprawling landscapes, and a safe community where you can let your kids grow, educated and all.

As BRIA Homes President Red Rosales puts it, "We are excited to offer our homes in BRIA San Fernando and Magalang. It's value for money, also gives you what good things that Pampanga has to offer."

Now isn't it a good thing to get a BRIA? 

Time to Invest in BRIA Homes Central and Northern Luzon

Central and North Luzon is booming and these regions are getting to be business hubs, tourism and leisure destinations. A world-class Clark International Airport sits right in the middle of this and yes, the Subic-Clark cargo railway too. With the advent of big things coming to the region, livable communities should be a priority and this is what BRIA Homes is bringing. 

Albeit the NLEX-SLEX connector road is finished and demand for industrial, commercial and residential space is growing and if the ones out there are not affordable and of good quality, it wouldn’t be reasonable. BRIA Homes is changing this since they’ve set up these projects all around town so people who choose to live in these homes would further flourish and grow. Jobs availability are at an all time high and wether you are here or an OFW, Central Luzon is just perfect for you.

BRIA Homes has got communities in Alaminos, Pangasinan; Urdaneta, Pangasinan, Paniqui, Tarlac; Magalang, Pampanga; San Fernando, Pampanga; Mariveles, Bataan; and Hermosa, Bataan. They are actually doing more in nearby towns and cities, so expect more in the coming years. These are really good investments too. 

They believe in Affordability (Mura) + Quality (Dekalidad), and each BRIA Home was built around this mission. Now everyone has got the chance to own homes, near their workplace, some retail establishments, schools, churches and hospitals so it would be easy to live because everything is near.

You can also pay via their flexible payment schemes, from bank-financing and Pag-IBIG funding. You can go to and from nearby cities and provinces easily because of existing and constructed highways, which is important to keep connections. 

That is priceless. If you want to know more about BRIA Homes call (0966) 277 5944, like “Bria Official” on Facebook, and follow “@TheBriaOfficial” on Twitter and IG.

Denny’s Gets You 12 Slams for 12 Months!

Ayala North Exchange is continuing to open restaurants and this time, they’re giving you a treat! Your favorite diner DENNY’s is opening their newest branch and that means, this awesome day should be topped with your favorite comfort food in the morning, pancakes!


First 100 who get to pay 500 pesos on their bill starting August 5 in DENNY’s Ayala North Exchange will get the opportunity to have 12 FREE SLAMS for 12 MONTHS! That’s 2 fluffy buttermilk pancakes, eggs done your way, 2 bacon strips (your choice of doneness) and 2 sausage links, now how’s that for a treat?!


Go to dennys.ph for more info or troop to the store if you’re in the mood for flipping wonders!

Php 299 Buffet + Music at JKAS Place Congressional

In my side of town it's actually easy to do events, host parties or just have a good time because of my proximity to Tomas Morato, which probably has everything we need for anything under the sun.

In the North, not much, but I'm so glad to note that it is about to change with a new spot in Congressional Avenue. It's called JKAS Place at 618 B Congressional Avenue Project 8 Quezon City. It is a full blown restaurant, an events venue and a hangout place after office hours, my friend Rodel Flordeliz of Nognoginthecity.com introduced me to it. They are open from 11am to 11pm but the buffet pretty much starts in the evening, I couldn't believe they've even offered it for a measely 299 which is super affordable. We tried it out for change.

This place is huge, which pretty much could accommodate 200 people. It is divided into three sections, a restaurant cafe in one side, then a music lounge/events space in the other half of the ground floor. They also have function rooms upstairs for private functions and the place is pretty new, no signs of wear and tear, I would be surprised if they have lots of weddings and receptions held here. Though in this part of the metro, they don't do highway robbery and kept their food priced low which I think stemmed from their experience in the food business. You see, they started as a catering company for a couple of years and they know how to keep people coming back. Serving quality but affordable dishes must have been second nature for them.

The day we went there was special, Fridays at JKAS Place had us enjoy live bands namely G7 band and Plethora. The Wish 107.5 bus often also docks in this place so if you're raring to have a grand time with friends and family, maybe a short visit to Congressional Avenue should be done. Check out how fun it was being there during weekends!

They have tons of food for the buffet spread and a dedicated place for preparing your own "sawsawan". If you prefer ordering ala carte, that would be easy. If you are in groups, I would suggest you call in advanced and reserve a table via their phone number 728 22 98 or 09171005086. They do Asian Fusion dishes so if you are fond of the cuisine, they do those lovely spring rolls that are quite good. They also have a mean beef dish you should ask to recommend if you are there. 

You may also see their Facebook page for schedules and additional promos because it's all there! I had a wonderful time with my blogger friends, I would say, the journey there was surely worth it! The food was good especially for the price!

KUMAGCOW
Fresh Blogs Fast!

Fisher Mall Malabon Officialy Opens!

Fisher Mall Malabon just gave us a glimpse of what’s about to happen in Dagat Dagatan Malabon. This is the owner’s turf, Ray Del Rosario who comes from a long line of people who worked with Irma Fishing, hence the name of the mall. They also supply the supermarket with fresh seafood everyday and I have always frequented their mall because of it. This is their second branch, the first one of which is currently at Quezon Avenue (former Pantranco station). They initially wanted to put up a hotel but the complex now has UNIQLO, tons of restaurants and a VIP Movie theatre in it. The Fisher Mall Malabon branch even more huge. 6 floors of retail spaces and food area. The country’s top and international brands, fast food giants, even a multitude of movie theaters that will all soon open.

The blessing of the mall took place at the mall’s event area (4th Floor) which sits opposite The Galley (which they call their food court). We checked out the space and retail outlets they had with a short tour of the property. They also have ample amount of parking space at the mall’s basement.

To show you around, we made a short video tour. Enjoy!

Fisher Mall has got everything you need and more. If you want to have a great time with family and friends up north, go take the trip to C4-Dagat Dagatan Avenue area in Malabon City. They’ve got fish and more!

Amaia Scapes North Luzon Opens New Communities

Looks like Amaia Scapes Bulacan is going to have their blessing rites for their basketball and village pavilion on August 25

Having a house of your own these days is acheivable because you’ve got better real estate properties that more affordable, better spaces and really good communities. In northern Luzon alone investments have gone up as they slowly decongest Metro Manila and finding a good home is easy, but what do you really need to make it liveable?

Easy, as Amaia Land Corporation puts it, you have to offer both functional and leisure amenities. This is what is happening in their communities nationwide. They just had the village pavilion at Amaia Scapes San Fernando and village pavilion and basketball court Amaia Scapes Capas  blessed last August 18. Meanwhile, they will have the village pavilion and basketball court of Amaia Scapes Bulacan blessed this coming August 25.

Now the homeowners have new venues for celebrating family parties, milestones so they can celebrate life with friends and neighbors. This is their goal of having holistic living experience for their residents. At Amaia Scapes San Fernando in Pampanga, they have history surrounding the city but also have modern lifestyle convenience mixed with it. Just imagine how much fun they’ll have in family picnics and fun watching basketball games in their amenities.  

At Amaia Scapes Capas in Tarlac, they have their own village pavilion, swimming pool, basketball court and kiddie playground. For sure, residents will thrive in this wholesome community, plus have the choice of being in one of six modern house designs so they meet their family’s growing needs.

At Amaia Scapes Bulacan in Sta Maria, people can have refreshing dips in the pool, tumble in the patio green and run amuck at the tree-lined spine road, so you never run out of activities. 

For those who would like to live in Amaia Scapes communities, just visit amaialand.com or follow their page via facebook.com/AmaiaLand because it’s all there!

KUMAGCOW

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The RISE Makati

We're in North Makati area today and looking around condominium units from famous Shangrila Properties. Their newest project called The Rise Makati located at the NoMa district boasts tons of artsy restaurants and establishments that say a lot about its selling point, Location, Location, Location. They also want you to paint your own canvass and create your own masterpiece in each room. The building will have 55 floors and habitable areas. They got us to look at some of the model units in their showroom, and it is quite impressive for this area. To give you an idea, it's along Yakal Street and almost right behind the Makati Fire Station, the Makati Post Office and the Makati Police Station.

It's got its own mall, a line of homey restaurants, a hangout area, a huge pool + a kiddie pool, a game room, an entertainment area, a circus themed kids room, function rooms, karaoke suites, a kilometer or more running areas all set in the North Area of Makati. I loved every bit of it.

The One Bedroom Unit

This is perfect for bachelors or young professionals who are just starting out living alone or starting to just invest in properties. The company also has programs of you want to lease it. This is pretty small but it's enough for someone like me who wants something classy and simple. Ahm, actually they chose the word Creative, the way they designed and built it. The amenities is over the top, the community is hip and cultured, it's near Team Manila's headquarters. 

The One Bedroom with a Balcony

This one almost fits like the other one and is around 27-29 square meters. The design is made by local and HK based people. The architecture is implemented by locals too. They have different projects in China, HK and elsewhere but the technology is much like the same. They use the best ones in the industry and can also recommend interior designers if needed. The biggest is around 43 square meters, and can cost around 3.2-3.9 Million, depending on the view and how large the area is plus taxes for Comissioner Kim Henares' enjoyment.

Two Bedroom Units with a Balcony

This costs around 9-10 Million but is so good I want one for myself. This can probably fit a family of 4 and I could say it's like 2 and a half rooms. The half could probably function as a home office or a study. If you have foreign guests, this would be something that could well be their second home. 

They also showed us around restaurants in the property and had super good lunch in Chesa Bianca, an authentic Swiss restaurant with b@d@ss fondue and Pork Cordon Bleu! 

I super love it! In fact it's the cheese that makes the difference. If we only had white wine, we could have stayed there for hours!

Then we headed on to my favorite dessert place called Bebe Rouge.

Their Earl Grey Tea and Strawberry Shortcake is to die for! You can quote me on that. Might I also warn you not to hit on the Japanese Chef because he's married, sorry ladies haha!

Then we went onto Suez and Zapote which is on the artsy part of the community. It's a place also by Team Manila but more on galleries and limited edition shirts! 

We even made our own shirts to take home and enjoy! I'll wear this proudly of course! :) 

Then for the last stop, we headed on to Speak Easy in Alphaland Makati Place.

They had a huge wall dedicated to my favorite drink! Aside from that, the gorgeous Russian lady named Allona prepared everything for us that afternoon personally. 

She whipped up Lychee Mojito for the ladies and Old Style thingy for me! It was awesome to cap off the evening with that! 

Thank you so much to the great people behind Shangrila Properties, The Rise Makati and all the establishments we went to today! I really had fun and hope the real soon to be tenants of The Rise Makati would see the value of being in the NOMA district. For more information about the property, please visit http://www.therisemakati.com or like their official Facebook Page The Rise Makati

Love you guys!

For more information about their property:

The RISE Makati

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Visit their official website

http://www.therisemakati.com/