April Calendar of Major Philippine Festivals » Lakbay Pilipinas

It’s summertime once again and what a better way to enjoy the fine weather than taking a road or boat trip to various destinations and festivals around the country.

Experience Igorot culture in the Lang-Ay Festival of Bontoc on the way to celebrations in Gawagaway-yan and Cocowayan Festivals in Isabela. Celebrate bountiful harvests in the Dagupan Bangus Festival and Pistay Dayat in Pangasinan. Feel the excitement and beauty of the Bicol region in Rodeo Masbateño and Magayon Festival. Or renew religious fervor in the Turumba Festival, Panaad and Pamalandong Ha Palo.

There are many places to visit this summer and here’s a short list. Have fun travelling around the Philippines!

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Ilocos Tour » Laoag-Pagudpod-Vigan Impromptu Weekend Getaway

I say unplanned trip is way better than planned one, maybe you won’t agree. But for me, those quick getaway trips are more gripping and remarkable especially if it’s one of those arbitrary barkada gigs. That’s the beauty of randomness – always tickles our unconscious desire for chaos. We always have that hidden desire to escape routine and a wish for that sudden bump on a boring road.

Conversely, best-planned trips are always impacted by cancellations. Of course we all know how safe and sane it is to plan a vacation in advance: we save for the expected expenses, cheap resort is booked, itinerary is neatly pre-decided and vacation leave is filed. There is no way the trip could go wrong. However, I don’t know if it’s just us (I mean our backpacker group), but most of our long planned barkada gigs are always being cancelled.

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Dear SmartBro, I need You, Now Na! » Why subscribing to Smart Bro NOW is as exciting as playing Angry Birds

So I woke up today on a rainy Sunday morning, stay curled up on my bed, shirtless and feeling so comfy with my oversized boxer brief suddenly thinking about whether the world will really end in 2012, and whether Lady Gaga is really human while staring at the albino lizard on my wall. But before I could ask my lizard roommate, it ran off. Probably got scared with that morning hump on my baggy boxer brief. This part of the day, this “angry-bird morning salute,” which is of course is a natural morning phenomenon for guys (but a miracle for viagra-dependent baby boomers) usually bewilders me.

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Cebu City Side Trip » Bantayan Island Getaway at Sta. Fe Beach Club Ogtong Cave Resort

I don’t know why these first few months of the year always gives me extra stress. Maybe it’s because of that nagging desire to accomplish more, to plow the field early to avoid the afternoon burnout. Fresh start is not always easy as rebooting a laptop. The whole shebang gives me headache, and the energy surge always nearly bursts my sanity bubble.

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Radiant Beauty in Chaos » Mobile phone photography

Beauty in Chaos

Sunset at Makati City Skyline

I took this while attending a company event last Friday at the Penthouse. 

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GV Tower Hotel Cebu City Review » Cheap rates that will give you second thoughts

Sharing this GV Tower hotel experience during my recent Cebu City trip is my novel answer to my perpetual blogger’s dilemma of “what shall I write today?” No, I am not a hotel connoisseur but I’m writing this review as a friend. Maybe you are planning your trip to Cebu City and now inquiring for cheap hotels to stay. You don’t know me and I don’t want to let you down – but I have to be honest, I only give praise when it's due, and criticism when warranted. Here’s my review.

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Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral Images » Mobile Things To Do While in Cebu City

The Griffin at the Cathedral's pediment

This is my noob attempt at phontography and SGS photowalk during our recent Cebu City visit. Although SLR camera is still the best at capturing images, always carrying it around is a real drag. We are now living a high-tech world where “convergence” is everywhere. Gone are the days when a point-and-shoot camera was a camera, an MP3 player was an MP3 player, a mobile phone was a just a phone.

I got some savings for a DSLR camera last year, but I end up buying a smartphone because I realized I need it more than an SLR. However, I’m planning to buy one if I have that extra budget again - I’ll try phontography in the meantime. They say phontography is the next generation revolution in point-and-shoot photography because every second somewhere in the world a picture is being clicked using a mobile phone and being immediately uploaded on the Internet.

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Tops Lookout at Mt. Busay Skyline Garden » The Antipolo of Cebu City

Ulong-pugot trick shot

The Tops Lookout is nice place for OL trippers, at the mountain area of Cebu City — Brgy. Busay, which locals simply refer to as “the Tops” is a sphere- themed fortress-like Skyline Garden, that provides spectacular view of the Cebu City. It is the counterpart of Antipolo over-looking (OL) sites in Manila.

If it is your first time in Cebu City and find yourself having no definite plans after an eat-all-you-can dinner or doesn’t want to do a very early bar hopping, I suggest you go visit the Tops Lookout at Mt. Busay. Or it is better if you could have your dinner there to catch the awesome sunset.

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