EMONG'S JOURNALS

There's nothing more rewarding than my experience with Sodexo Gift Certificate. Just a few months ago, a week before my birthday, my daughter gave me a Sodexo Gift Certificate for a birthday present. That time, I was itching to get myself a new camera bag to carry my DSLR, and dozens of shutterbug accessories. My camera stuff had piled up over the years and I have to have one versatile bag to carry them all in one shoulder. At the mall where I took my Sodexo Gift Certificate, it couldn't be any simpler! While some stores are tough to some GC's, the Sodexo is easy to transact. Considered as the Number 1 gift certificate in the country, Sodexo has the widest merchant network. They are accepted at every SM Affiliated establishments and more than 9,000 merchants nationwide. (Visit https://merchants.sodexo.ph/   ) All it took me was just 10 minutes at the SM Store, and before I knew it, I was already carrying my dream camera bag over my shoulder - ready to go home. There...

With the start of summer officially beginning with this year's observance of the Holy Week, I'll have to ask you -- Where do you want to go? Whether you'd go hiking along the Sierra Madre mountains, surfing the Siargao waves or stargazing in the darkest corners of Mount Pulag, it's totally up to you!  I virtually scoured the whole of the Philippines and tracked down 20 fantastic locations. All you have to do is get there! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS POST? Share your ideas by commenting.

The Holy Week break means plenty of sun especially when you're planning to spend it on beaches or when doing the Visitas Iglesias . While sunlight naturally gives our body the much needed Vitamin D, excessive and prolonged sun exposure can cause severe sunburn and skin damage. A skin tan is fine, but anything in excess can give you premature ageing and worst, skin cancer. To stay safe in the sun, we need to lessen our exposure from the sun's UVR ( ultra violet radiation ). Here's a few tips to do this effectively: 1. Get off the sun's peak hours Avoid the hours between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the period when the sun's UVR levels are at their highest. 2. Go under the shade There's nothing to be ashamed of when you seek shade. Doing so can reduce the amount of UVR you receive. Note that this may not fully protect you as as UVR reflects off many surfaces such as pavement, sand and water, but it can surely limit the damage UVRs can give. 3. Sunscr...

All men are not created equal. Sometimes, your destiny depends on where you were born. According to a recent updated survey from Henley & Partners, a London-based consulting firm that specializes in citizenship services, Philippines ranked a low 69th among the countries with visa-free privileges - way below with that of our neighboring countries Singapore's 6th and Malaysia's 9th ranking. A Philippine passport can only take you to about 58 countries as compared to Singapore's 167 and Malaysia's 163. Holders of Finnish, Swedish and UK passports are the luckiest blokes who can enjoy sight-seeing adventures in 173 countries. Afghans, however, are the least favored as their passports - ranked last at 93rd - can only take them to 28 countries. You can see the complete ranking list  HERE . Only 25 countries, or maybe even lesser When you go and Google-search which countries offer visa-free travel for Filipinos, you'd notice that results vary from one web...

Here's to your health, prosperity and many blessings! The Philippines will be celebrating the Chinese New Year on February 8, 2016 -- the Year of the Fire Monkey. Or if you prefer, it’s the year 4714 on the lunar calendar. Celebrated for over 5,000 years in China, the Chinese New Year may have been first observed in the Philippines hundreds of years ago, dating back right up to the 10th century. The early Chinese, arriving via sampans , subsequently created settlements in Luzon and in the Visayas, some of which became the biggest and most powerful barangays , or city-states in the Philippines. Today, the Chinese-Filipino community (also known as the Tsinoys ), comprises about 18-27% of the Philippine population, totaling up to 30 million people -- around 2 million of them are with pure Chinese ancestry. On February 8, Chinatowns all over the country (to include the BInondo district in Manila and Banawe Street in Quezon City) will resound with firecrackers and ceremonial l...

Have you ever thought of boarding your next flight and having the whole plane to yourself? Austrian travel blogger Alex Simon, 28, had a private jet for the price of one ticket when he found himself alone after boarding a Philippine Airlines domestic flight from Manila to Boracay. Nobody showed up for the flight and the only people on board were the aircraft's two flight attendants and two pilots. One flight attendant said to him he "can sit anywhere, because (he is) the only passenger." In an interview from MailOnline , Simon said he was "surprised" and thought he was dreaming. "It was an unforgettable feeling to take a flight to one of the most beautiful islands of the world, but to be alone and to feel like a superstar made it more special," "I just had luck, I think, that no one else was interested on this day to fly to paradise." Boracay is an island in the Visayas region south of Manila. Well known for its sparkling white...

Christmas time is here Happiness and cheer Fun for all that children call Their favorite time of the year Christmas time is here Families drawing near Oh, that we could always see Such spirit through the year (Phrases from the song "Christmas Time is Here," written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi for the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas)

Get set for Christmas trees, parols , lights and decorations; turn your home into Santa's grotto this year! Renowned for its numerous Christmas tiangges , Araneta Center presents the Parolan Bazaar (located just beside the Farmer's flower garden and in front of Rufo's Tapa and Telus). The Parolan Bazaar offers holiday products that meet your needs and expectations -- consisting of quality parols , baubles, bells, tinsel, garlands, wreaths and Christmas trees. Also includes life-sized Santa Claus figures, Christmas glass ornaments, furry fabric elves, angels, Christmas lights and other small decorative items. Though some price tags are a bit steep compared to other stores, most of their products tend to be cheaper than the rest. Just don't forget to bring out your negotiating (and haggling) skills when you go and come by to see the place. We took some shots on the different Christmas decors so you'd know what to expect early on. Enjoy! ...

Hurry up, book a flight and just go! AirAsia's superfantastic one-centavo seat sale happens until November 29, 2015, available both for local and international destinations within the travel period from May 1, 2016 until Feb 5, 2017. The one-centavo seats will be available for flights going to Kalibo (Boracay), Palawan, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Davao, Cebu, and Tacloban; and for international flights to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Busan, Hong Kong, Macau and Incheon. While favorite tourist destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan aren't included in the P0.01 sale, flights to these countries are still available via another company promo. See the AirAsia Facebook Page for more details. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS POST? Share your ideas by commenting.

Traveling outside Metro Manila is everyone's vacation option this coming APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit. With straight four days off the job, it may - finally - be our best chance to leave the usual horrors of the city behind. But traveling during these days may be tricky. Here's why. 1. NAIA airports are closed. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport will be closed Nov. 16 to 21, during the arrival and departures of each of the 21 economic leaders which includes US president Barack Obama, China's Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Canada's Justin Trudeau. If you want to travel by air, you have to leave on the 15th and come back on the 22nd. Option? Get land transportation only. Which leads to item #2 below. 2.   NLEX/SLEX traffic congestion. According to an article from Verafiles.org , "... Metro Manila’s major exit points, including the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), are expected t...

IT'S time to welcome those lazy, hazy, crazy days of vacations for 2016. Have you started planning your holiday get-aways? Compared to last year’s "no-work days", the chances for that relaxing get away are lesser as there'd be lesser long weekends on 2016. The Malacanang Palace on Wednesday released Proclamation 1105 declaring the regular holidays and special non-working holidays for 2016. President Aquino signed the decree on August 20. Here are the following holidays for 2016: Regular holidays: January 1 - New Year's Day March 24 - Maunday Thursday March 25 - Good Friday April 9 - Araw ng Kagitingan May 1 - Labor Day June 12 - Independence Day August 29 - National Heroes Day November 30 - Bonifacio Day December 25 - Christmas Day December 30 - Rizal Day Special (Non-Working) Holidays February 8 - Chinese New Year February 25 - EDSA People Power Revolution March 26 - Black Saturday August 21 - Ninoy Aquino Day November 1 - All Sa...

O kay, let's admit it -- we're fond of sexy celebrities in tiny red bikinis! Summer is fast approaching and everybody's rushing to get fit. Bianca Manalo recently visited the fantastic Amanpulo island resort in Palawan and was quick to flaunt her new look. In her Instagram account, the sexy beauty queen shows her perfect bod wearing a two-piece red bikini in a caption,  "#BiancaTakesAmanpulo #NoFilter” Bianca rose to popularity after winning the Binibining Pilipinas pageant in 2009, representing the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant that year. And I say to myself.. What a wonderful world! ☀️ #BiancaTakesAmanpulo #NoFilter A photo posted by Bianca Manalo (@biancamanalo) on Feb 24, 2015 at 10:13pm PST Another day in Paradise 💛 Forever beach lover ☀️ #24hourService #7Star #BiancaTakesAmanpulo #NoFilter A photo posted by Bianca Manalo (@biancamanalo) on Feb 23, 2015 at 6:35pm PST ANY COMMENTS? Feel free to share your ...

J ust so you won't be confused. The annual celebration of the EDSA People Power revolution set on February 25 will have classes on all levels suspended, but regular office employees have to go to work. Proclamation 831 issued on July 2014 says that February 25 will be a regular working day for all workers in the country but a holiday for all students from all levels. President Benigno Aquino will lead the 29th anniversary celebration of the EDSA People Power revolt on Feb. 25, as major events would be held in Malacañang and the EDSA Shrine in Quezon City. The EDSA People Power revolution ousted the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and installed into power Corazon Aquino (mother of President Benigno Aquino). ANY COMMENT? Feel free to share your reactions and comments down below.

T he official Grand Launch of casino resort developer Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corporation, City of Dreams Manila, happens on Monday February 2, 2015. According to business website MarketWatch , the resort combines an amazing array of accommodation, regional and international culinary offerings, together with designer brand shopping as well as a spacious and contemporary casino. City of Dreams Manila features a new promotional trailer, specially commissioned by Melco Crown Entertainment, starring Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. The TV commercial was directed by Academy Award winner, Martin Scorsese and was produced by the internationally renowned RatPac Entertainment producer and director, Brett Ratner. The grand launch will include celebrities to be featured in the 'Concert of Dreams', starring international R&B star Ne-Yo and local entertainers such as Gary Valenciano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Kyla, and Jed Madela. Concert tickets are...

T he folks in Metro Manila really know how to do fireworks right! Filipinos has always been flamboyant with fiestas and celebrations -- so how else can Manila celebrate New Year's Eve? With the most vibrant (and deafening) fireworks, of course! Every nook and cranny of the metropolis has its own fireworks display to welcome 2015. A report from Mashable said Manila's fireworks dominated New Year's Eve celebrations around the world, getting much attention than New York, Sydney and London. A Newsweek article, meanwhile, said Manila’s fireworks displays “won New Year’s Eve," and commented that no other city may have done it better. ANY COMMENTS: Feel free to share your reactions and comments down below.

W ith UNDAS and the feast of "All Saints Day" coming after the turn of the week on November 1, many home owners are planning on leaving home and heading out of town. But, whether one is spending the holidays in cemeteries or just plain backpacking, the annual event will surely send tens of thousands of Metro Manila residents to the provinces, leaving their homes unattended behind. The two lead government agencies that will be working 24/7 for the yearly event are the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Both said they are ready, dubbing the event as "OPLAN KALULUWA 2014." But are you ready for UNDAS? Here are some tips from HowStuffWorks.com to help you review your home safety checklist before you head on to your vacation. CONSIDER A HOUSE SITTER . The best way to make sure your house is safe while you're gone is to have someone you trust still living in it. He/She may be a close relative or a t...