Why you should save thresher sharks

DESPITE classifying a certain animal as an endangered specie, illegal trades continue to be rampant, further harming the said specie.

The thresher shark is one of them.

Because of their fins, fishing for thresher sharks has been very frequent in most parts of the planet.

One of the only places where the said sharks are considered "sacred" is the Monad Shoal in Cebu, where the residents of the nearby Malapascua Island have been continuously doing efforts in conserving them, eventually turning the spot into a diving haven.

However, that's just one side of the story.

The road to bringing back thresher sharks to life is long, but a new proposal will help in further saving the sharks.

The said proposal will regulate the fishing for the thresher sharks, and WE want you to support it.

I have been an advocate of saving the endangered species, and I believe the yes vote to this proposal, which will be presented at the Conference of Parties next week, is beneficial for our Cebuano friends.

Why? Aside from environmental factors, the Monad Shoal is responsible for 80 percent of the Malapascua Island residents' source of income, and for a group of people who have quickly moved on from the wrath of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, your yes vote will further motivate them in conserving the sharks.

Meanwhile, a no vote could mean opening the doors of Malapascua to unsustainable thresher shark fishing, further sending the sharks close to extinction.

We should send a strong message to the Philippine delegation to the COP that we want thresher shark fishing regulated.

For now, here are some tips to help save the sharks.

Join me as we bat for further saving the thresher sharks. Make your yes votes count here.

Bus booking site now online

WHY wait in line when you can book online?

IWantSeats is an online bus booking platform in the Philippines.

Booking your bus ticket has never been as easy as booking your hotels and airline tickets! With just a few clicks, you can reserve and confirm your seat and just go to the terminal on the day of your trip.

Explore new places, or travel to and from your city without having to wait hours at the terminal as a chance passenger. Leave the booking to IWantSeats and enjoy more of your trip.

Currently offering deluxe trips to Baguio and Baler to and from Manila via JoyBus, more routes will be added to serve you.

Book to Baguio or Baler now at iwantseats.com.ph.

Victoria Court unveils new out-of-this-world room

VICTORIA Court, one of the leading hotel chains nationwide, launched their new themed room on Thursday night at their Pasig hotel.

Inspired by the Star Wars saga, the said room, aptly named "Space Wars", features a spaceship cockpit with light switches, pilot flight controllers, and sound effects so that the guests can play simulations of spaceship battles.

Also, guests can channel their inner cosplayers as costumes and weapons can be seen in the room as well.

The dishes to be served at the Space Wars room, which like the other rooms can be used for gatherings, are also Star Wars-inspired, like the black-bun Dark Side Burger, Panatrooper (Victoria Court's own take on Panna Cotta), and Jar Jar Drinks.

Lancaster develops new Cavite village

THERE'S a new Lancaster village in Cavite.

Pro-Friends, the company behind Lancaster, completed the development of a barren land in the city of Imus and turned it to what is now known as the Lancaster New City.

Situated at the common boundary between three towns including Imus itself, Lancaster New City has been master-planned to be family friendly. Aside from the affordable and quality houses that suit the budget of the average Filipino family, it also delivers features that help its residents live a full life.

Families looking to own a home at the said Imus village can choose from three Asian-inspired house designs, the Adelle, Briana, and the Chessa types.

They will also find an easier time looking for locations to suit their needs and even wants as a K-to-12 ready school, a shopping area, and even a BPO office are found at the Lancaster New City. Other business stalls are also located at the village, just near the chapel.

Lancaster New City is easily accessible from CavitEx as all you need to do is to drive straight via the said tollway and turn left at Advincula Avenue.

For more information, just call 4917700 or visit www.profriends.com.

A place to unwind in the bustling city

I WAS at the middle of covering the PCCL finals when a friend of mine called me and asked, "Do you want to check out this hotel in Manila?"

I told her, "I will definitely be late considering I have to come from San Juan," but she replied, "That's OK."

So a jeep and two train rides later, I ended up at Hotel Kimberly along Pedro Gil Street.

While it may not be that near from the airport (12-kilometer distance), the location is good for the tourists who want to "feed" their social life (just a walking distance from Robinson's Place Manila, UP Manila, and the bars within the Ermita and Malate districts).

I eventually joined a few more bloggers in this presentation of Hotel Kimberly.

The hotel manager first led us to the restaurant.

Next up, we were shown the rooms. First was the superior room.

Then the deluxe room. There are two types of deluxe rooms, the single room, which is good for a maximum of two, and the family room, which can accommodate three at standard rate.

There is also the premiere family suite and the executive suite.

The premiere family suite.

The executive suite

Finally, we got a glimpse of the function hall. Since Hotel Kimberly Manila is located in a business district, it's great for offices who want to hold special meetings or even Christmas parties.

As aforementioned recently, we were toured around Hotel Kimberly Manila, which distinguishes it from the other Hotel Kimberly in Tagaytay.

Hotel Kimberly Manila is located at 770 Pedro Gil Street. For reservations, call (+632)52118888 or email the hotel at reservations@hotelkimberly.com

For more details about both Hotel Kimberly branches, go to hotelkimberly.com

Cavinti: A town by the waters

Situated around 100 kilometers from Manila, the town of Cavinti is known for three known aquatic places, the well-known Caliraya Lake and the Magdapio Falls aka Cavinti Falls aka Pagsanjan Falls and the underrated yet cool Lumot Lake. I and a group of bloggers were supposed to go there after Christmas, but because the weather there is relatively inclement during the Yuletide season, the tour, which is formally named Cavinti Eco-Adventure Tour or CavEAT, was moved to a "safer" date, which was right after the New Year. So we packed up for the trip. Herald Bebis, the one who invited us, met us at the Pagsawitan Junction in Sta. Cruz. I was surprised that we were many in the group, and I only knew a few.

Here's a photo of our group.

After meeting new friends, we went straight to the Bumbungan River Eco-Park.

The river, which connects to the Cavinti River, actually overflows through the National Highway, prompting the municipal government to build a higher bridge and turn the old road portion to the eco-park.

We ate breakfast and were briefed about what to expect for the entire weekend. After doing some sightseeing and some instant "foot spa" at the river...

...we went to a sambalilio manufacturing store at the town proper. We got one each. With me doing some "ballies", I donned the hat to my ball!

When I took the ballie, I was reminded a lot of the Dallas Mavericks'
old logo.

Now, one of the highlights of the Cavinti tour: A trip to the Cavinti Falls. The former Magdapio Falls, more popularly known as the Pagsanjan Falls as the town is the easier route to the falls, can be accessed from Cavinti through the El Pueblo Del Salvador Eco-Park. It's a trek route that reminded me of my one and only journey to Mt. Makiling. What makes the trek more exciting are two rappelling stations. At first, I felt somewhat scared that I had to go down 40 steps down via rappelling, but good thing the staff kept us safe. We made it to the falls. Considering it was the first time for most of us, we made the most of it. While it was a nerve-wracking experience, it was fun.

Then we spent the sunset time at the Camarin Park. The place is managed by NAPOCOR since the place is actually a hydroelectric plant along the Caliraya (both Lumot and Caliraya are synthetic lakes built to provide electricity).

Here's a photo of Cavinti's sunset at the Camarin Power Plant.

We spent the night at the Villa Oliveros Resort owned by no less than the town's mayor Milbert Oliveros. To have some fun before we sleep, we played a game of billiards there.

Even by sunrise, the game of pool continued.

Our first destination for the second day was the Cavinti Chapel. Because I was rushing for errands for our news site (plus the fact that I'm a Born-Again Christian), I did not enter the chapel.

Later in the day, we went to the Caliraya Mountain Lake Resort, where I learned how to play golf. Then we went to the Lago Fishing Village (I decided not to join my blogger friends there since I was really on a rush since I'm the new online editor for Dugout). Our trip culminated at the Japanese Garden.

I wished our tour in Cavinti was an extended one, but it was a fun weekend.

How to get to Cavinti? Ride a bus going to Sta. Cruz (trips by HM and JAC Liner extend up to Pagsanjan) and ride a jeep going to Cavinti.

Optional: DLTB offers late afternoon trips from Pasay to Sta. Maria (Yup. There's a town in Laguna named Sta. Maria). If you get lucky to find one, ride that bus and tell the conductor to drop you off at Lumban. Ride a jeep going to Cavinti from there.

Bohol Travel Fair opened

L-R: Mr. Reed Aeschliman, Cong. Rene L. Relampagos, DOT Sec. Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.,
BM Benjie Arcamo, Gov. Edgar M. Chatto, Atty. Lucas M. Nunag, Cong. Arthur Yap, and
Tagbilaran Mayor John Yap II formally opened the Bohol Travel Fair.

The first Bohol Travel Fair opened today at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City amid simple yet meaningful ceremonies.

The 3-day event, which runs today until January 11, 2015, serves to kickstart the province’s Visit Bohol 2015 tourism campaign, which hopes to lure local and foreign tourists, including businessmen, back to the province to explore its beauty and natural splendor and be part of its growing economy.

The initiative is also aligned with the Philippine government’s own “Visit The Philippines 2015” tourism campaign, a follow up to its successful “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” effort last year.

The Bohol Travel Fair, which is organized by the Bohol provincial government in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPBPHL), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was attended by numerous VIPs, dignitaries and special guests from the province, the national government, the diplomatic corps, and other important stakeholders in the Philippine tourism scene.

The event also provided participants, mainly private resort owners, the opportunity to showcase the best of what they can offer to event guests and the general public when it comes to tourist attractions.

Visiting the Aguinaldo Shrine

I have been to Kawit for a number of times since a family friend lives in Bgy. Sta. Isabel, but while we have to pass the Aguinaldo Shrine before getting to Bgy. Sta. Isabel, I have actually never set foot at the said shrine. Not until I got a post-Christmas trip invite there.

Originally a shorter place, the Shrine, the home of Former President Emilio Aguinaldo, was extended to give room to his growing family.

We were escorted inside by Sir Bennett, one of the tour guides there. What we liked about him was that he knew everything about Aguinaldo and the revolution. He also has a knack for geography and can name the places you can see from the fifth floor, or the Manila-Makati Tower.

The view below the Manila-Makati Tower.

He also led us to some interesting features of the house, like Aguinaldo's medicine cabinet with all the bottles preserved...

...the Philippine map placed at the ceiling...

...and one of the first press rooms ever built for the Philippine media. For a sportswriter who had a lot of experiences inside the press rooms of three indoor sports arenas and the press room of the Palarong Pambansa, I was appalled by what an old school press room looks like.

This was what a press room looked like before aircons were even invented.

Also, Sir Bennett revealed to us that the Aguinaldos put up a mini-sports center underneath their home. It included a swimming pool and, guess what, a bowling alley. He told us that there are plans of renovating the bowling alley.

Believe it or not, this was once Kawit's first-ever bowling alley.

We wonder why Sir Bennett is very knowledgeable of everything Aguinaldo. A descendant of the former chief executive, incumbent Kawit Vice Mayor Paul Abaya, gave us an answer later in the night. He told us that Sir Bennett's family has been close with the Aguinaldos. He even witnessed the burial of the former president at the backyard of his residence in 1964.

Abaya then invited us to the year-end concert featuring the band of one of my churchmates, Mayonnaise.

The special night, which curiously took place on Rizal Day, ended by a fireworks display that lighted up Kawit.

Unfortunately, my friend did not respond to my tweet, so I presumed that he and his family went to Pangasinan, which has been their usual post-Christmas activity. Anyway, I still had fun in my return to Kawit.

Parties beyond ordinary only at Victoria Court

Victoria Court offers world-class suites, each one distinct from the other.

The most sought after suites are the Asgard inspired from the movie Thor, the romantic Marrakesh Suite, Batcave from The Dark Knight, and other fun exciting themes for you to choose from.

Our guests have a wide choice of rooms depending on size, design and preferred themes: standard, deluxe, and suites with variants of mini-suites, regular suites and super thematic suites, all different themes. At Victoria Court, no two rooms are the same.

Now known for its thematic parties and events, Victoria Court offers a wide array of suites and amenities that promises a party beyond ordinary.

Bachelorette and stag parties are one of our biggest clientele but we have our share of celebrity shoots, MTV's, and press conferences too.

In fact, Victoria Court hosted the pressers of Asia's Next Top Model and Juana Change the Movie.

We also housed the international battle rappers for their Araneta Dreams Battle Royale and Japan's RWB Legend Nakai-San. Hitting number 1 on the MYX charts is Kyla who shot her MTV in our James Bond inspired room - Casino Royale.

We also have an award-winning F&B team working round the clock to create extraordinary dishes available 24 hours a day.

Our team has recently won top cooking competitions such as the Chefs on Parade, the Philippine Culinary Cup Challenge and the MAFBEX Cooking Competition. Try our extensive menu. Taste our distinction.

So many events, so many suites, all with different themes… Choose the theme that suits your needs.

For inquiries and reservations, please call us at 0917-9810084.

Follow @victoriacourtvc on Twitter and Instagram, like our Facebook Fan page: facebook.com/VictoriaCourtPH, or check our website at victoriacourt.biz for new promos and events. 

Some more places to visit at the Riverbanks Center

Aside from the new Science Centrum, the Riverbanks Center also boasts of three more museums. Here is the list of the other three:

The Spirit of Bethlehem

This hanging Christmas tree is part of the Spirit of Bethlehem collection.

The Spirit of Bethlehem is a private collection of over 500 belens/nativity sets/posters/paintings and sculptures from all over the world.

It boasts of numerous pieces from here and abroad, collected through decades of devotion to the Infant Jesus, by its owner Gigi Abaya-Carlos.

Belens/Nativity sets from different countries like the United States, Mexico, Spain, Israel, Africa, Guatemala, China, and from the different regions of the Philippines will certainly catch your attention because they reflect the culture from where they originated. Some are made from different materials like papier mache, stones, glass, clay, resin and more. About 80% of these Belens are proudly Philippine-made.

Museum of Miniatures

After seeing all the Belens, one is awed by the collection of tiny but real-looking replicas of things you would find in all the different rooms of a European mansion. It is a collection of shadows boxes filled with Lilliputian pieces of 1:1 scale.

The miniatures are part of the collection of the late Aleli Vengua, a passionate artist who handcrafted most of the pieces herself. A lot of the materials used were scrap from items in our day to day living, be it plastic, wood, aluminum, fabric, and glass.

Each room is designed with so much detail and attention that one will never want to look away.

The Joey Velasco Gallery

Right next to The Spirit of Bethlehem is the Joey Velacso Gallery, now home to the spiritually moving art pieces and legacy of the late Joey Velasco. The artist was only 43 years old when he passed away because of a life-threatening kidney disease. Best known for his works “Hapag ng Pag-asa”, or “Table of Hope”, which depicts the Last Supper with Jesus and street children instead of the disciples, Velasco has stirred the hearts of many with his paintings.

Those who have seen his paintings will certainly attest that it is not just a gallery. Though there is an appreciation of art, it is more of a place of reflection. It is a “living museum” where art reflects the spiritual dimension of day to day living and sparks social awareness. According to Ms. Queeny Velasco, wife of the late painter/writer, it is a museum of “faith and patriotism”.

The gallery is being supported by the Joey Velasco Foundation (JVF) whose current priority is to give support to the Hapag Kids and their families of Hapag Village in Amparo, Caloocan City. The JVF created livelihood projects for them, gives training to enhance their skills and other activities for the value formation of the community.

To check out these places, go to the Riverbanks Center along A. Bonifacio Avenue in Marikina City. For more inquiries, visit Riverbanks' website.

A return trip to the Science Centrum

I was in my third grade when I had my one and only visit to the Philippine Science Centrum, which was still situated in Manila City then. Now, after almost 18 years, I was back at the Science Centrum, now based inside the Riverbanks Complex in Marikina City. Obviously, a lot has changed in the Science Centrum in the past 18 years.

While it's now not that accessible as it was then (it was once located at the Manila U-Belt area), it's more spacious, giving more room for new exhibits to be placed.

One of the Science Centrum's additions was this stationary bike in which once you tried it, the CFL's will light up, teaching us more about kinetic energy.

Another item I saw in today's Science Centrum that I did not see in my past visit was this finger tingler. We were lined up in a circle while holding our hands. I had my hand in the tingler, and once the exhibitor activated the machine, we felt the electricity. The machine teaches how electrocution can be passed.

Another cool thing I saw was this weighing machine that compares my earthly weight to that of the other planets. Thanks to the difference in the gravity level of each planet, we can be lighter or heavier at another planet. In fact, I found out that I can be about one-third of my size if I go to Mars!

Some more cool machines I found inside the new Science Centrum building were this apparatus, which can give you the experience to fly...

...and this one, which one turned on will emit an electric current as seen by the naked eyes.

I also tried out its shadow photo booth, but unfortunately, my photo of its was too dark enough. I also failed to take a photo of some optical illusion areas, but they were cool.

If you want to see them, just go to the new Philippine Science Centrum located at the E-Com Center of the Riverbanks Complex, A. Bonifacio Ave., Marikina City. From Cubao, New Manila, or Sta. Mesa, just ride a jeep bound for SSS Village or Calumpang. For more of the Science Centrum and the other museums inside the Riverbanks, visit Riverbanks' website.

Raven Resort: Paradise at the West Coast

I've never been to Bataan all my life, until someone offered a free spot at the Mastering Online Ranking Conference at the Raven Resort. Looking for means to put our news site into a good competition with the other standalone sports news portals, I grabbed the opportunity (What's up, my EIC's?). From LB, I made a 190-kilometer journey to the said resort in Abucay.

The entrance of Raven Resort

So we made it to the Raven Resort for the two-day symposium. The first thing I noticed in the resort were the cabins. The houses there are country-themed, making it unique compared to the rooms inside the Calamba resorts.

I like this cabin the most because of the staircase at the side.

This was where I and an SEO expert stayed.

(top and bottom) The interior of our room

Also, the swimming pools, particularly the kiddie pool, were specially designed to make it more enjoyable for the families and the "barkada".

There are five slides, three bound for the kiddie pool and the other two bound for the adult pool. We tried taking selfies of ourselves sliding to the adult pool. As of the moment, I'm waiting for my friend to upload them.

There are two conference rooms inside the resort, and the organizers utilized both of them for the summit. They are spacious enough to hold big events province-wise.

Some critiques, though, for Raven are the basketball court and the parking lot. Probably, it's just me since I got used to playing in standard-sized courts, but the basketball court is too short, probably three-fourths of the full size.

An obligatory "ballie" at the basketball court

Also, with the lack of parking spaces, car owners resort to using the basketball court to park their automobiles, making it a hindrance to those who want to play basketball.

If not for the cars which are parked at the other side of the court, we
would have played some 5-on-5 pickup games.

Overall, however, I had fun (and gained some SEO knowledge) at the Raven Resort.

Even by ball approves Raven Resort!

For inquiries, go to ravenresort.com.ph or through its Facebook page at facebook.com/ravenresort.

Live well; leave well with Aeternum Garden

A panoramic view of the Aeternum Garden. From Aeternum's Facebook page

Aeternum is a Latin word which means Eternity. Located at the heart of Heritage Park Area 2 of Fort Bonifacio Taguig City, Aeternum Garden boasts its grandiose and inviting facilities such lush greenery, manmade lagoon and waterfalls, the viewing chapel where funeral services take place and the peaceful columbarium.

Jan Vincent Mercado, President of The Fort Park Estate Inc., who introduced the country's first True Garden Columbary, "Aeternum": The Park Estate Columbary discussed how they stumble upon the idea of putting up Aeternum Garden. He and his family received an offer before from the local city government to buy the property which then was just a piece of land. It was bought, developed and now became the country's first true garden columbary. "Living the life you want is very important but you need to live it well without harming other people." This is one of the inspiring lines from Vincent Mercado which people need to live by.

"Live well. Leave well" is the theme of the night where guests are encouraged to share something that they could not forget about their departed loved ones. Online media and VIP guests willingly participated in the "mini-sharing". 

Aeternum Garden has a viewing chapel inside the 5-hectare land of The Fort Park Estate Inc. Families, friends and other relatives may reminisce the happy memories they had with their loved ones inside the chapel peacefully and scenic praying areas of the park. The serenity inside and outside the chapel and the themed buildings will make you feel at ease for your treasured ones.

Back to the pre-historic times, people from Rome, Italy called Etruscans give honor to their loved ones by cremating them believing that fire would purify their loved ones for eternity. After the cremation service, the matriarch of the family would gather the ashes of her loved one and place them in an urn and was kept in a sacred place--the columbarium.

Aeternum Garden, which is a unique and floral-inspired structure, symbolizes the love of the family to the departed ones. The garden setting is a sanctuary of memories and a haven of comfort for those who were left behind. At night, you will an amazing view of the columbarium as the lighting is randomly changing its colors. Classy. Flexible, grandiose, majestic, serene--these are the words to describe Aeternum Garden. If you are wondering if the rates are too expensive, need not to worry as Aeternum offers its clients flexible payment options.

We all deserve a place on Earth like heaven. You live well. You leave well.

For more information, please take note on the details below.

Aeternum Garden Columbary Park, C.P. Garcia Ave. corner Bayani Road, Heritage Park Area 2, Taguig City

Tel: (02) 401 1303 Website: http://www.aeternumcolumbary.com

Facebook : Aeternum Columbary

Twitter: @AeternumGarden

Instagram: @AeternumGarden