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Victory Liner's Schedule Page is Gone




If you're one of the frequent travelers to the north who heavily rely on Victory Liner's schedule page, then you'd be disappointed to know that it's gone.





So now we'll just have to call up their landline and hope that:

  1. The number is still working.
  2. The number isn't constantly busy.
  3. Someone will pick up.
After trying to call 4 different numbers, one luckily had someone answer.  After asking about a bus schedule, I told the lady on the other line about their site's missing schedule page.  She sounded surprised but tried to assure me that they're just fixing it.  

I'm not sure how much they've changed their schedules since May of this year, but if you're curious to find out, you can go to this link:  Victory Liner's Schedule and Rates as of May, 2014


Have a safe trip, everyone!

A Call to Donate Books and School Supplies

I'm heading out to a remote village in Lubuagan, Kalinga in the next couple of weeks to distribute school supplies and donated books for a community school there.

If you have used but readable books, magazines, or learning materials that you can spare, please do send me a private message here, a text message or call me up via 0918 635 3980 so we can include them in the distribution.  As much as I'd like to pick them up from your respective houses, I'm afraid my funds are only enough to meet up with you in certain pick-up points in the Manila and Cavite area.

This is not NGO-initiated, it's a personal project that I'm hoping to do every year for the children of Lubuagan, Kalinga.  Names of benefactors will be included in the documentation that will be turned over to the school.

Why Donate?

The school doesn't have a library because they don't have books to begin with.  They don't even have books that they can take home with them or share with other students.  They only rely on what the teachers write on the board.  

You might think that there's nothing wrong with this, but then again, the students can only afford to buy one notebook and one pen for every schoolyear.  That means they have to save what they write down, else they'll run out of writing space.

As if this is not challenging enough, they have to attend the class with children from different levels.  Because of low government funds, the school can only afford two teachers and two classrooms.  Here's how the classes are split up:
  • Class 1:  Kindergarten to Grade 3
  • Class 2:  Grade 4
  • Class 3:  Grade 5 and 6
One of the teachers handles Class 1, while the other handles Classes 2 and 3.

And what about quizzes and tests?  The parents cannot afford to buy anything aside from a notebook and pen, so sometimes, the teachers shell out money from their own salary to provide paper for the students to write on.

Some might think the parents aren't trying hard enough for the children, but then again they farm for a living.  They contribute to the school by helping out in cleaning and maintaining the school premises.  In 2011, volunteer parents put up a classroom made of bamboo, which is now being used by Class 1, which is shown below:


Photo courtesy of Ms. Nessaj Dumatog

As of this writing, there are 54 students who enrolled for SY 2014-2015 and it won't be a bad idea if you'd want to donate a batch of items that will benefit all of them, like donating 54 or even 60 pencils.

What we have so far

Believe it or not, our first benefactors are elementary students who willingly donated books that they're still using.

We have funds ready to buy a set of school supplies consisting of 4 notebooks, 1 pad of paper, 2 pens or pencils and 1 box of crayons for each student.  We also have used textbooks, a few children's books and are scheduled to pick up a volume of encyclopedia, a lot of Reader's Digest magazines.


One of the teachers, Ms. Nessaj Dumatog, with a few of her students

What to Donate
  • Reading materials:  children's books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, children's magazines
  • Writing implements:  crayons, pencils, ballpoint pens, paint brushes
  • Learning materials:  building blocks, puzzles, math aids, grade school science lab tools, visual aids for the classroom
  • Basic school supplies:  pencils, ballpoint pens, sharpeners, erasers, writing paper (Grade 1, Grade 4, Grade 6)
What not to Donate

Please don't donate anything that is meant for the garbage truck: reading materials with significant stains and scribbles, unpleasant smell, lots of torn pages, small pieces of crayons or inkless pens.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Mabuhay ang mag-aaral na Pilipino!

Fly to Taipei for Only P99!




Cebu Pacific Air is offering seats from Manila to Taipei for only PhP99.00!  This promo is good until June 16, 2013 or until seats last.  For travel dates between July 1 to October 31, 2013 only.

Visit www.cebupacificair.com to book your flights now!

Paying for Cebu Pacific Ticket via BDO

For those who don't have a credit card or a bank account to pay for Cebu Pacific tickets online, this is for you! : )

1.  Book your flight via www.cebupacificair.com.  (Check steps here)

Note:  With this payment option, you only have until 11:59pm on the day of your booking to send funds for the plane ticket.  Otherwise, it'll expire and you'll have to rebook online.


2.  Print or write down the confirmation number on your itinerary receipt.

In example below, it's 1406 1302 1900 34.  


You also need to take note of the exact fare cost.  In the example below, it's P1,305.64.

Note:  If the amount is not exactly the same as it shows on your itinerary receipt, BDO won't accept your payment.




4.  Go to the nearest BDO branch and fill out a payment slip


  • Company name:  Cebu Pacific Air
  • Subscriber's Account number:  <enter itinerary receipt confirmation number here>
  • Subscriber's Name:  <enter passenger's full name here, as entered during booking>
  • Cash payment breakdown <specify the denomination and quantity>
5.  Pay to the teller.

The teller will ask you to write your contact number somewhere in the payment breakdown section.  Once you're done, you should be able to receive a confirmation from Cebu Pacific via email and/or mobile phone within 24 hours.  

If this has passed and you  haven't received it yet, check your spam folder.  If it's still not there, call their hotline and ask for a copy to be manually sent to you.  It's possible that you mistyped your email address while booking.  

When you get your online ticket, either print it out, write down or save the flight details on paper or mobile device, and present it with your valid ID at the airport.

Ingat po!

Cebu Pac's P1SO Sale : )



Book flights via Cebu Pacific Air and get seats for only PhP1.00!  

Of course, it doesn't include taxes and surcharges, but when I did try a mock booking for Manila to Tuguegarao, and it came to only PhP 671.00.

Now, their official banner does say it's PhP1.00 to all domestic destinations, but when I tried Manila to Tagbilaran, it showed an initial fee of PhP1,088.00. 

It can be a system glitch or the promo is really only for selected destinations, such as:

  • Cebu to Camiguin
  • Cebu to Masbate
  • Davao to Butuan
  • Davao to Dipolog
  • Iloilo to General Santos
  • Cebu to Coron
  • Manila to Bacolod
  • Manila to Cebu
  • Manila to Boracay
  • Manila to Tuguegarao
  • Manila to Butuan
  • Manila to Puerto Princesa
  • Manila to Tacloban
  • Manila to Zamboanga

This promo is for travel dates between November 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014.  So if I were you, I'd book a flight ASAP!

By the way, here's a screenshot of the mock booking, which shows the taxes and surcharges:


To book your flights, visit www.cebupacificair.com.





La Traviesa Hotel Resort in Cavite

First off, this is not a paid blog.  I just love this place so much I'm spending my afternoon to share what a jewel La Traviesa is. 

Anyways, forget Microtel Inns & Suites.  When in Cavite, choose La Traviesa.

The Courtyard

I first visited La Traviesa to check where our Korean students were staying during their summer camp here.  And when I stepped into the courtyard it was like visiting a small Mexican villa.  

From the color of the Villa's roofs, walls and the capiz windows, the relaxing gardens and walkways, I couldn't help but think to myself "How could I have missed this place???"  Probably because I haven't explored General Trias that much.  Moving on...

They have a couple of gardens here, which can be used for al fresco dining, camping (they rent tents), playing or maybe even holding pictorials.  

One of the things I love about this place is their walkway, which I call the "Lovers' Lane."  It's wide enough for a couple to walk on, whether under the warm morning sun or the cool gaze of the lovers' moon at night.  The Lovers' Lane has benches where you and your beloved can lounge while waiting for your breakfast or dinner to be served and talk about your future.  I think it's even a great place to make a wedding proposal! ; )

Or, if you're alone, stay here and contemplate.  Then we'll call it "Contemplators' Lane."  It's a free country.

Bar & Restaurant
You can eat the usual resort food here like sandwiches, pasta, and rice toppings for about PhP150 per serving.  They serve drinks, too, of course.  Going back to the food, I recommend their beef caldereta and pesto chicken penne.  The serving amount is just right and the flavors can satisfy a picky palate.

Function Rooms

La Traviesa has 2 of these which both have ample space for celebrations or seminars.  Our company used one of the function rooms here for a despedida party and it was okay.  They let us use a huge flat-screen TV and a portable videoke machine, free of charge, I believe.  You can bring your own drinks but there's corkage of about PhP50.00 per bottle.  Best to ask the staff before you bring anything.

Guest Rooms

The guest rooms are clean, elegantly designed, and have lots of space.  I forgot to mention that they smell good, too!  (I say "they" because I stayed several times here already).  They're secured by a keycard, which you'll get from the staff upon check-in.


 They have 4 room locations:  the Casa Mayor, the Villa, the Attic, and the Cabana.  All but the Cabana are spacious, even the ones that are good for 8 people.  The Villa rooms, for instance, can fit 4 to 5 queen-sized beds, by my guesstimate.  It only has one bed, of course, but I just wanted to give you an idea how big it is.  This means, you can not only sleep and watch TV, you can even  do yoga, dance or walk around while practicing a speech.
  


I highly suggest staying in the Villa, where you can choose to get a room that's either facing the sunrise or the sunset.  For some hotels, this doesn't matter, because  you can't open the window, or when you walk out the door, you''ll just see walls around you.






But this place is different.  When you walk out the door, you're welcomed by the airy veranda, wide enough that there are tables and chairs set in front of every room so you can have your breakfast or dinner there while watching the sunrise or sunset, depending on which side of the building you're in.  You can also easily see most of the courtyard from there.






So going back inside the room, you get a queen-sized bed, a closet (with a small safe in it)a mirror, a fridge, a wide and comfy couch, two pairs of complimentary
 rubber slippers that you can use to go to the pool, a desk with a couple of complimentary bottled water, a thermos and two glasses, a landline, and 2 bedside tables.  


Lighting options, for me, is very important, especially if I need to read documents during my stay at a hotel.  

La Traviesa's Villa rooms have enough lighting options that allow you to read even when you're in bed (I've been to other hotels where you have to stand up in one corner just to be able to see what you're reading).




The wall-mounted air conditioner works perfectly well and can keep the room cool even if it's directly exposed to the afternoon summer sun.  

AND, I found out just now that their air conditioners are solar powered!  How cool is that?  







What else?  Ah!  You've got a 32-inch Toshiba or Sharp wall-mounted flat-screen TV with Cignal cable connection.  



(There's no wi-fi, but you can access the internet in the lobby).  










The bathroom has enough space to move around in, it's clean and has modern bathroom fixtures.


The shower set has a big shower head, hand shower, and a faucet.  








A tinted glass divider separates the shower room from the toilet, but water does escape to the toilet once you open the shower door, so be careful not to slip!  Oh, and the toilet has a hand-held bidet, too.


The sink is neither too high nor too low, there's also a readily accessible, wall-mounted hair dryer by the bathroom mirror.  

Love it!!!









Let me share more photos with you:







Mirror and fridge.  I wish they'd install bigger mirrors so you'd see how you look before you go outside.
 







 Cabinet and mini safe.






TV and cable device





Water heater and two glasses on the desk.  

I love the fact that they wrapped the glasses in tissue.  


I'm not a fan of the dangling switch, but I'm thankful for their effort in installing more lighting options for their guests!







These slippers might not be fluffy like the ones you get from the Shangri-La, but they're practical.  






You can use them when you go out for errands, take a stroll in the courtyard, or even in the bathroom, if you're the type who doesn't like going inside the bathroom barefoot.



Ah, the couch.  I love this piece of furniture.

I barely sit on it when I stay here and mostly serves as the hamper but it adds to the relaxing mood.



Pardon my poor photography skills, but you should notice a lamp on the right side.  







You can sit here and mull over floating thoughts, read the newspaper or a book, or let your kid sleep here.  It's as wide as a single bed, if i'm not mistaken.





 

Obviously, bathrooms are a big deal to me.  Moving on...

So I'm saying they're Villa guest rooms are perfect! Well, almost.  

I really wish they'd provide more (about 4 pillows per room) and fluffier pillows.  But I'd still give the guest rooms a 9.5!

The Pools

There are two pools: a 5-foot deep infinity pool for adults and a 3-foot deep kiddie pool with fountain for the young ones--or the not-so-young beings who are not so fond of water going above their waist.  

In the days and nights that I decided to take a dip in the pool, I was always pleased by how clear the water was.  I could see my feet and the tiles at the bottom of the pool, and I see their staff cleaning on early mornings.

Some leaves from the nearby plants and trees can't be avoided, but that's not a hassle and is actually a treat for those who can't swim.  They can play with the floating leaves instead, which aren't a lot, maybe just two or three of them.

The pools are strategically surrounded by a nice footpath that doesn't hurt the feet, gazebos, the gardens, the bar and the restroom.  This means you or the kids can easily rest and refuel or run to the restroom without much hassle.  

The walkway around the pool are safe, not slippery, so the guests, most specifically the parents, are relaxed while chatting away.  I've observed around the pool quite a few times and I've never seen a kid get into an accident.

The Management and Staff

These guys are the bomb!  I've traveled quite a bit and stayed in a few resort hotels, but the La Traviesa staff can spoil you to death.  In my opinion, they're on a par with the Shangri-La's Mactan Resort staff when it comes to giving excellent customer service.

They're very patient, accommodating, and they're always smiling even when they're all tired and busy, and despite the fact that I'm not a foreigner or a tourist!  

Some of the requests they selflessly bestowed upon me during the several times I've stayed here: early (7am) check-in, late evening (9:30pm) check-in , late check-out (4pm), surprise dinner arrangement, lending a DVD player for free, room clean-up in the evening).

So, to Ms. Anne Dayrit and Ms. Len, who, I believe, both define what sincere customer service really is, please accept my sincerest thanks!  To you and the rest of your team who have always tried your best to grant every request since day 1 no matter how silly they were, I wish you better health, more clients and less stress!  You've made my stay enjoyable and a memory to treasure.  

And to you, my few yet intelligent readers, include La Traviesa in your itinerary, or just when you're feeling an impulse to escape from all the stress.  It'll be your home away from home.

Will I come back to La Traviesa?  Of course!  I've already booked a 2-night stay with them in August.

Things you can do here:

  1. Read to your heart's content (the other wing faces a farm so you can enjoy the quiet while in the veranda.  You can stay by the pool, too, or any of the gardens)
  2. Spend time with your other half 
  3. Walk around and practice a speech
  4. Sit by the couch or the courtyard bench to write your wedding vow 
  5. Compose a song
  6. Brainstorm
  7. Do yoga
  8. Dance
  9. Exercise
  10. Work out 
  11. Camp out
  12. Swim, learn to swim or just take a dip in the pool
  13. Have a barbecue picnic
  14. Hold an al fresco dinner for your family, friends or co-workers
  15. Run around with friends or family
  16. Do somersaults
  17. Lounge on the wide, comfy couch
  18. Have a surprise romantic dinner
  19. Watch cable TV  
  20. Take  pictures. Lots of them.
  21. Celebrate or hold seminars
  22. Sing
  23. Stargaze
  24. Watch DVDs (you can borrow the player for free)
  25. Sleep
See?  This is not your typical resort hotel because the last thing you want to do is sleep!

So there.  I'll update this blog when I have more photos.  Hopefully, I can capture a photo of the staff on my next visit.


AirPhil's P1SO Sale Is Back!

AirPhil Express is letting you enjoy the summer vacation by giving you another PISO sale!  Pati pabalik ng Manila, naka-sale na rin!

For only PhP1.00, you get to fly to and/or from these selected destinations:

  • Cebu to  Bacolod
  • Cebu to Iloilo
  • Cebu to Tacloban
  • Zamboanga to Davao
  • Cagayan de Oro to Davao
  • Cebu to Butuan
  • Cebu to Dipolog
  • Cebu to Ozamiz
  • Cebu to Pagadian
  • Cebu to Zamboanga
  • Davao to Iloilo
  • Clark to Cebu
  • Clark to Davao

PhP288.00:
  • Manila TO Bacolod
  • Manila TO Calbayog
  • Manila TO Catarman
  • Manila TO Caticlan
  • Manila TO Cebu
  • Manila TO Iloilo
  • Manila TO Kalibo
  • Manila TO Tacloban
  • Manila TO Tagbilaran
  • Manila FROM Bacolod
  • Manila FROM Calbayog
  • Manila FROM Caticlan
  • Manila FROM Catarman
  • Manila FROM Cebu
  • Manila FROM Iloilo
  • Manila FROM Kalibo
  • Manila FROM Tacloban
  • Manila FROM Tagbilaran
This promo runs until May 3, 2012 only, for travel dates between May 16 to July 31, 2012 only.

Hurry and visit www.airphilexpress.com to book your flights before you run out of promo seats!


Bora? Try SEAir for only P1,155.00

For the party-goers who like the loud scenes down south, better take advantage of SEAir's promo, which allows you to grab a seat from Manila to Caticlan for only PhP1,155.00 and Caticlan to Manila for P3,855.00. 


This promo starts from April 8 to 30, 2012 only, so I would suggest giving them a call or visiting their website on these dates.


Now, I'm a frugal traveler and I don't find any fare rate about 1k as cheap.  But considering they don't use airbuses for these trips, the fuel costs justify the pricing.  I still don't think I'd get caught shelling out that much for a one-way trip.  Just my two centavos.


You can also check out these posts:

Fly AirPhil for Only P288!


Book a seat from April 5 to 7, 2012 for only P288.00 for flights going to or coming from AirPhil Express's Cebu, Davao or Zamboanga hubs!
  • Cebu to Bacolod
  • Cebu to Butuan
  • Cebu to Cagayan de Oro
  • Cebu to Caticlan
  • Cebu to Cotabato
  • Cebu to Davao
  • Cebu to Dipolog
  • Cebu to General Santos
  • Cebu to Iloilo
  • Cebu to Kalibo
  • Cebu to Legazpi
  • Cebu to Ozamiz
  • Cebu to Pagadian
  • Cebu to Puerto Princesa
  • Cebu to Surigao
  • Cebu to Tacloban
  • Cebu to Zamboanga
  • Davao to Cagayan de Oro
  • Davao to Iloilo
  • Davao to Zamboanga
  • Zamboanga to Davao
  • Zamboanga to Jolo
  • Zamboanga to Tawi-tawi
Promo fare is good for travel dates between October 1 to December 20, 2012 only.

Visit www.airphilexpress.com to book your flights while seats last! : )

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Cebu Pac's P1SO Fare is Back!


Pay only P1.00 when booking flights via Cebu Pacific Air on April 4 and 5, 2012, or while seats last!

Promo price is good for travel dates between September 1 to December 15, 2012 only.  Check out these selected P1SO fare destinations!

  • Manila to Cauayan (Isabela)
  • Manila to Laoag
  • Manila to Legazpi
  • Manila to Naga
  • Manila to San Jose (Mindoro)
  • Manila to Tuguegarao
  • Manila to Virac
  • Cebu to Bacolod
  • Cebu to Butuan
  • Cebu to Cagayan de Oro
  • Cebu to Clark
  • Cebu to Davao
  • Cebu to Dipolog
  • Cebu to Dumaguete
  • Cebu to General Santos
  • Cebu to Kalibo
  • Cebu to Iloilo
  • Cebu to Legazpi 
  • Cebu to Ozamiz
  • Cebu to Pagadian
  • Cebu to Surigao 
  • Cebu to Tacloban
  • Cebu to Zamboanga
  • Cagayan de Oro to Iloilo
  • Davao to Cagayan de Oro
  • Davao to Iloilo
  • Davao to Zamboanga
  • Zamboanga to Tawi-tawi
Book your flights via www.cebupacificair.com now!

You may also want to read about:

P188 Seats from Clark, Cebu and Zamboanga Hubs!

If you're flying from the AirPhil Express's Clark, Cebu and Zamboanga hubs, you might as well grab their seat sale rate and pay only PhP188.00!

This promo runs until March 19, 2012 only, and is applicable for trips between April 1 to May 31, 2012.

Here are the included destinations:

  • Clark to Cebu
  • Clark to  Davao
  • Clark to  Kalibo
  • Clark to  Puerto Princesa
  • Cebu to Bacolod
  • Cebu to  Butuan
  • Cebu to  Cagayan de Oro
  • Cebu to  Caticlan
  • Cebu to  Cotabato
  • Cebu to  Davao
  • Cebu to  Dipolog
  • Cebu to  General Santos
  • Cebu to  Iloilo
  • Cebu to  Kalibo
  • Cebu to  Legazpi
  • Cebu to  Ozamiz
  • Cebu to  Pagadian
  • Cebu to  Puerto Princesa
  • Cebu to  Surigao
  • Cebu to  Tacloban
  • Cebu to  Zamboanga
  • Zamboanga to Davao
  • Zamboanga to Jolo
  • Zamboanga to Tawi-tawi
Visit www.airphilexpresss.com to book your flights now!

You may also want to read about:

Fly from the Cebu, and Mindanao for Only P88!

Coming from Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro or Zamboanga?  Better take advantage of Cebu Pacific Air's latest promo!

Until March 19, 2012 only, Cebu Pacific Air will let you book your flights between May 1 to September 30, 2012 for only PhP88.00!

Check out these included routes:

  • Cebu to Bacolod
  • Cebu to Butuan
  • Cebu to  Cagayan de Oro
  • Cebu to  Clark
  • Cebu to  Dipolog
  • Cebu to  Dumaguete
  • Cebu to  General Santos
  • Cebu to  Iloilo
  • Cebu to  Legazpi
  • Cebu to  Ozamiz
  • Cebu to  Pagadian
  • Cebu to  Puerto Princesa
  • Cebu to  Siargao
  • Cebu to  Surigao
  • Cebu to  Tacloban
  • Cebu to  Zamboanga
  • Cebu to  Kalibo
  • Davao to Cagayan de Oro
  • Davao to Zamboanga
  • Zamboanga to Tawi-tawi
Visit www.cebupacificair.com to book your flights before seats run out!

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