Another
resort South of Manila is Club Balai Isabel which is located along the shores
of the Lake Taal in Barangay
Banga,Talisay, Batangas which is, if traffic is not heavy, just an
hour's drive from Makati via SLEX and STAR Tollway. Aside from the amenities
and facilities, it offers an up-close view of the world-famous Taal volcano
which is just a boat ride away.
It is an ideal
place not only for relaxation because of its greenery and is far enough from
the bustling city but also of special occasions and corporate events, especially
team-building activities. I was there twice for our team-building and I noticed
another group obviously had the same reason as teams were playing a relay game.
I did not
notice the pool that Balai Isabel mentioned in its website that looks like a stream because maybe
I was not aware of it but our group used the pool facilities located near the
clubhouse. However, if you are not keen of being watched by guests eating at
the clubhouse, better swim somewhere else. Swimming in the lake however is prohibited which
is a minus if compared to beach resorts which also have the same amenities. The
food is nothing to crave for but tasty and ample enough to leave your stomach
heavy. Well, maybe because the group’s budget was not enough to cover a special
menu.
Some of us
took a tricycle ride early morning and went to the town’s market and see if it could
offer something different that we could bring back home but sadly there were
none. Just the same stuff one could buy in any local market.
Overall, I
enjoyed my four-day experience at Club Isabel (two days for each visit) and I
would not hesitate to join again if another corporate event will be conducted
using it as the venue. .
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) conducted the Supervisory
Development Course Track 1 at the DPWH-Region IV –A Training Room, EDSA, Quezon
City from August 14 to 17, 2012. The Course is specifically designed for first
line supervisors in the Philippine Bureaucracy and is a joint project of the
CSC and the United Nations Development Programme.
The 48 participants, from different government offices as
far as Real Quezon, Tacloban and Puerto Princesa, who attended the program not
only had their managerial skills enhanced but also developed fun and camaraderie
among the trainees. Photos show the various workshops conducted and obviously
with all the smiles on their faces, the activities were really an enjoyable way
to learn. Congratulations to all the graduates!
(The pictures were from Mayette Guerrero. Better give her the credit as I might be
accused of plagiarism. However the
inserted callouts were on my own and were meant for fun. Buti na lang yung iba
walang unguarded shots or else, baka napasali din sila dito. Please comment if
you don’t like them so that I could delete the particular photos.)
A top destination among beach travellers, mostly from Manila
and neighboring areas, is White Beach in Puerto Galera. White Beach’s popularity goes back even
before Boracay’s. Not only it is cheaper because of its closeness to Manila but
it has white sands (not powdery though like in Boracay) Hotels, shops, bars,
restaurants and activity centers for snorkelling and scuba diving.
It is a tourist haven. In fact, you might find yourself with
some local movie and TV stars enjoying the music in one of its bars most
especially during Holy Week. Or, see a
lot of foreigners who already considered the place home and had families.
The place is so crowded during summer most especially the Lenten
Season thus you have to book early.
Otherwise, the only available places for your group to sleep in are the rooms
or houses that are too far from the beach and being offered for rent by
enterprising locals. The price of these rooms or houses during the peak season
is ranging from P2,500.00 to P4,000.00 per day and good for at least 6 pax.
Transportation going to White Beach from Manila to
Batangas by air-conditioned buses or
vans are available 24/7 except for the rigged boats from the Batangas port to
Puerto Galera or vice versa which sail
as early as 6:00 AM until 7:00PM. Waves
though are higher during the afternoon so better schedule your trip very early
morning.
Hedonistic, that is what I (who is so used to observe Lenten
Season rites yet what am I doing here?) can best describe White Beach during
evenings. Seems like Ermita in Manila, once notorious for its sleazy clubs, has
been transported to the beach with women in bikini dancing on the ledge or
stage of the bars while fire dancers compete for the crowds’ attention. There are also local brew-sponsored bands
playing for the younger market. So while the rest of our folks were beating
their chest, others were having an orgiastic way to spend the week.
Puerto Galera however was in the news recently for banning
gay performers. I don’t know exactly the reason but local officials want the
place “sanitized”. It earned the ire of the gay community because Puerto Galera
is actually a “gay haven” the distinction which the officials want to be
erased. The gay community however, is among the large part of its visitors
which made Puerto famous and brought so much largesse to Puerto Galera’s
economy.
I used to watch my Aunt, Elsa Cruz,
baked her delicious chiffon cake when I was young. I was inspired by her that
when I was in High School, I attended a baking class offered free by the local
government. The use of so many utensils of baking however discouraged me to
make it as a hobby. I thought then that
it was better to buy cakes from bakeries or bake shops than to make one. Besides,
nobody in my immediate family knows how to cook any dish more specially baked
stuffs which means, all the needed pans, mixers and measuring utensils were not
available in the house.
When I was already working, I also
attended a baking class intended to employees who wanted to make baking their
business upon retirement. Still, it took so long for me to realize that I could
make money out of it. Today, I already concocted and designed hundreds of cakes
for children’s party, debut or wedding using only the basic chiffon cake recipe
which I got from the back of cake flour box. This is because of my friend’s
Party Needs Business of which the cake is one of the most important items in
any celebration.
Those who want to make
it a try, here is the basic chiffon cake recipe that I’m sure your family will
love and can be use for business. Marshmallow icing (boiled sugar) is perfect for this recipe because it won’t melt even in hot weather.
2 ¼ cups Cake Flour
1 Tbps Baking Powder
½ tsp. Cream of Tartar
8 pcs. Eggs (separated)
½ cup Vegetable Oil
¾ cup Orange Soda (I use
Tru-Orange or orange flavouring)
¾ cup Sugar for the batter
¾ cup Sugar for the Eggwhites
Line an 8 x 12 inches
rectangular pan or 10 inches round pan. Pre-heat
the oven at 345 degrees Celsius. Sift the together the cake flour, baking
powder and sugar three times, set aside. Separate the eggwhites from the yolk.
Be sure to use a smaller bowl or container first in separating the eggs one by
one to avoid mixing spoiled eggs from the rest. For the batter, mix all the
ingredients together except the eggwhites, the ¾ cup sugar and cream of Tartar. Beat the eggwhites with the cream of Tartar
using a handheld or stand mixer until frothy. Slowly add sugar and continue
beating until stiff but not dry. Pour
the batter slowly using a spatula into the eggwhites. Transfer the mixture to
the baking pan and bake for 45 minutes or until done (insert toothpick and see
if it has no crumbs). Invert and cool before taking the cake out from the pan. TIP: Line the pan but don't grease.
When the
Underground River or St. Paul’s Subterranean River National Park of Puerto
Princesa City in the province of Palawan, was declared as one of the World’s
New Seven Wonders of Nature, a hundredfold increase in the number of tourist
was noted as compared to previous years. The entire province and the city have
never been busier, including two of Palawan’s
popular towns of El Nido and Coron. These places are among the country’s
must-see destinations famous for their breathtaking limestone rock formations,
their enticing crystal-clear waters that are best for snorkelling and scuba
diving and the powdery white sands.
The Philippine
Ports Authority (PPA), the government agency that manages all ports nationwide,
said that El Nido experienced the surge in tourism gauging from the influx of
tourists who were mostly from European countries. Tourism, aside from the
increasing volume of cargoes (basic commodities) to and from Manila and an
aggressive port collection contributed to the remarkable increase in port
revenue from Php 3.4Million in 2009 to Php 15Million as of December 2011.
The port has
recently been rehabilitated with improved port facilities which include a new
passenger terminal, concrete pavements, installation of lights and fencing for
security. It could not, however,
accommodate bigger vessels especially the Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) type of sea
crafts because of its low water draft. The PPA’s plan in 2009 to dredge the
area at the cost of Php 29 million was met with stiff resistance from local
officials and community groups because of environmental concerns. After a
series of consultations and with the affirmation of the local authorities to go
ahead with the dredging, the budget already ballooned to Php120 million. RoRo
vessels would definitely bring in more tourists as these would lower the cost
of travel to the island just like what has happened in Puerto Galera in Mindoro
and Boracay in Aklan. At daytime, guests may hire a "banca" for P250,00 per person and tour around the nearby islets, chose an island to while away the time and go snorkeling. An island with a cove for me was the best. Going back late in the afternoon though is not advisable because waves already get bigger.
At night time,
pub houses and bars in El Nido teem with foreigners that local visitors might
think that he or she is transported to a foreign land if not for the nipa house
façade of the establishments.
Ms. Nerissa Dado, the manager of
El Nido’s cargo handling operator Bacuit Arrastre Association, Inc., said that
the El Nido port community is all-out in supporting the activities that would
ensure the cleanliness of the port and the environment and the safety and
security of passengers. She opined that it will be for the benefit of the
townspeople to always present the best of what the place could offer.
The welcoming atmosphere of the port was enhanced with decorative
and edible plants in its surroundings. The PPA’s terminal port manager, hopes for a much bigger port of El Nido in the
near future so that bigger vessels could be accommodated and bring in more
Filipinos to marvel the beauty of their own country and at the same time, meet
the demands of increasing foreign tourist arrivals.
