Coron: Island Hopping Experience

This was my second time in Coron but Ryan's first so I arranged some island hopping but only chose the best ones. 

First stop was Siete Picados, the best place for snorkeling according to the guides. However, it was raining the past few days which resulted in the water being very murky. We didn't see anything and quickly just moved on to Kayangan Lake. Here, the water was much much clearer but I was surprised to see that it looked very different compared to the last time I was here. The wooden platform was totally submerged. Plus side was there weren't a lot of people. Since we hired a private boat, we took our time here. Eventually, everybody else left and it was just us in the entire lake. It was an amazing experience!

For our last stop, we headed to Twin Lagoons. I'm a horrible swimmer but an adventurous one so I suggested we swim all the way to the other end to see the hidden second lagoon (with a life jacket, of course!). It was quite scary because again, we were the only ones there! The boat was probably a hundred meters away and was no longer visible because it docked behind the limestone cliffs. It was loads of fun though! 

The next day, my friends went diving. I don't have any diving certification so I didn't get to dive with them. They had such good stories of what they saw underwater that I got inspired to finally get my certification!

Coron: Huma Island

My body was craving to go somewhere to relax and de-stress, and Huma Island was just the place! We were picked up from the airport, rode a small boat, and before we knew it, we had arrived at Huma Island. It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived so we didn't really get to appreciate the view. Thankfully, the rain trickled down and eventually stopped the next day.

We walked around and explored the island and later concluded that this place is amazing! There weren't a lot of people so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. Highlight of our stay-- a jacuzzi outside our villa! 

Kalanggaman Island

Last year, I went to Ormoc for the christening and birthday celebration of my godson. The event would start in late afternoon so to make the most of our time there, we visited  Kalanggaman island in the morning. Pristine white sand beach, clear blue waters-- the view was amazing. The almost two-hour drive and one-hour boat ride was totally worth it! The island was surprisingly very peaceful probably due to the fact that not a lot of people know of its existence. In fact, I found out about it only the night before, when a friend mentioned it. Lol. 

Harbin Day 5

Now back in Beijing for a day of shopping! We went to The Plaza and the Silk Market to do some shopping and had wonderful Chinese food for lunch where they serve the best dumplings. We stayed at Marco Polo Parkside Hotel and our rooms were spacious and super cozy. We would have wanted to stay longer in Beijing but since we availed the services of a travel agency, we couldn't change the itinerary and flight details. Before we knew it, it was time to go. The trip was super enjoyable, and the memories I made were one-of-a-kind. Plus, it was my first time to see snow!

Definitely looking forward to my next trip in March!

Islas de Gigantes Day 2

Naturally, we went island hopping and did some swimming on day two. Although the accommodations were humble at best, I very much enjoyed my stay here. The white sand beach was pristine! The place was very peaceful and private since there weren't a lot of people. In fact, we were the only group (well, aside from the locals) staying in the island when we visited!

Islas de Gigantes Day 1

A blog post about a trip taken nine months back? Yep! Lol. 

So anyway, I went with a few friends to Islas de Gigantes (or Gigantes Islands), a group of islands located at the northeastern part of Iloilo. To get there, we took a flight headed to Roxas City, stayed there overnight, then took a car ride and a boat ride on the following day. Travel time is much shorter as compared to flying from Manila to Iloilo City.

Anilao 2017

When asked about my ideal getaway, only one place comes to mind-- the beach! Nothing really beats relaxing under the sun and staring into the horizon while listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore with a glass of ice cold drink in hand. I feel so excited just by thinking about it! Lol.

Last May, I went to Anilao with a couple of friends and stayed there for one night. We didn't get to do a lot of stuff because an overnight stay wasn't enough! We did some snorkeling though (one thing you shouldn't miss when you're in Anilao!), played beach volleyball, and took advantage of the unlimited use of kayaks at the resort (we stayed at Anilao Awari Bay). Aaand this place will forever hold a special place in my heart because this is where I first learned how to swim and be comfortable in a 15ft pool! (I just recently started learning how to swim lol.)

The Farm at San Benito

First off, The Farm at San Benito is huge! In fact, it will take you a while to go around the entire place. And what's even better is that there aren't a lot of guests staying at the resort. I can actually count with my fingers the number of guests we saw during our entire stay! 

Read on to find out what you can expect at The Farm at San Benito. :)

Corregidor Adventure

Corregidor is only an hour away from Manila by ferry so I don't know why it took me soooo long to visit the place. Definitely a must-see for history buffs! Click the link below to read about my experience.

Boracay 2016

My most relaxing trip to date (and probably my favourite) was my trip to Boracay with friends last June. Since all of us have been to Boracay countless times before, we didn't feel the need to explore the place and try the water activities. Every day, we had the same routine - get up at 10am, grab breakfast at the hotel, relax inside our hotel room for a few hours, get a late lunch, chill by the beach while having afternoon snacks and drinks, swim during sunset, and then grab an early dinner. I've never felt so relaxed in my life! I think I want to make this a yearly tradition. Who's with me? Lol.

CLEAN Reserve Arrives in the Philippines

I was recently invited to attend CLEAN Reserve's launch at Blackbird. According to their press release, CLEAN is a ‘non-perfumed’ perfume loved by those who don’t want an overpowering scent, and for those who don’t want to make a statement when they walk into a room. But they want to smell good for themselves and the people close by.

I get terrible allergies when exposed to strong odors, and because of this, I dont have a lot of options when buying perfume. I'm definitely glad that I have more scents to choose from now that CLEAN perfumes are here!

Calling All Curious

Fossil truly made everyone curious with the launch of its Fall 2015 Watch and Leather Collection. Its lead designers were all set in coming up with fun and quirky pieces, coupled with meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail.

The media launch was held last month at the Fossil Store in Shangri-La Plaza Mall where we got to experience pieces from their new Fall collection first hand. It was an exciting event with caricature artists, fun activities, and unexpected surprises!

The Coca-Cola Bottle Art Tour

The Coca-Cola bottle is well-known as one of the most distinctive and most iconic designs in history. To mark its 100 years of existence, a year-long international campaign was launched, which included new advertisements, a music anthem, and a series of art exhibits. Last month the campaign finally reached the Philippines!

There were Coca-Cola-bottle-themed art, historical artifacts, and interactive activities. But what I enjoyed the most was the interactive, multi-sensory journey -- we got to experience the sight, the smell, the sound, the feel, and finally, the taste of an ice cold bottle of Coca-Cola!

Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Rosé

Look what came in the mail yesterday -- the new fragrance of Caroline Herrera for 2014, the 212 VIP Rosé, together with a bottle of nail polish!

Upon opening the perfume container, I was immediately entranced by the scent. It's the type of perfume that I would wear to special occasions. It has a mild scent, just the way I like it! You see, I'm allergic to strong smelling perfumes so I'm really picky when it comes to scents. Once, during an exam, I even asked to be transferred to another seat because my nose was becoming irritated by the perfume my seatmate was wearing. Lol.

The adorable packaging is definitely a big plus!

Copper

There's something about jumpsuits that catches my attention while shopping. For one, it looks super glam on its own, no need to mix and match: just add some accessories and finish off with a fab pair of heels. Definitely one of my top picks when I'm in a hurry to get ready! However, it was only recently that I realized I already had a floral jumpsuit in my closet (see this post) which I rarely got to wear. Oh well, one can never have too many lol.

P.S. Notice that my hair turns copper in yellow light? Under natural light, my hair looks like the one in the photo below. Which color do you prefer? :)

Wonderful Crazy

This dress is probably one of the most overused pieces in my closet due to its versatility. It's perfect for lazy days when you're not in the mood to mix and match (like this one), as well as for days when you feel like dressing up. The dress already speaks for itself so I wouldn't want to turn the attention away from it by adding lots of details (a.k.a. accessories).

If I would style this another way, I would choose to wear it with nude pumps and fishtail braids for that neat, classy look.

Oh, you might notice that the dress has shoulder cut-outs. Really cute, in my opinion! :)

How Can We Help?

(Image source: Rappler.com)

As you all know, Tropical Storm Maring has brought extreme floods and destruction in Manila as well as in some nearby provinces. It has been raining on-and-off for several days now; with the rainfall greatest during the first two or three days. Many lost their homes to the flood while some got separated to their families. To those who haven't been affected by the typhoon and are willing to help, please please do. Below are some ways you can help out. You can give donations (either in cash or in kind), volunteer to join the relief operations, or, in case you can not help out physically, your prayers would be appreciated just as much. Let us all pray for everyone who has been affected by this calamity.

REPORT AND STAY ALERT

RescuePH.com

If you know of people who need to be rescued, add them to RescuePH.com database. You may also tweet the name/s, exact location and flood situation and use the hashtag #rescuePH.

Emergency Hotlines

From the Official Gazette (Gov.PH)

Compiled by ANC

DONATE AND/OR VOLUNTEER

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

Volunteers are needed to re-pack relief goods. Pls go to National Resource Operations Center (NROC) NAIA Chapel Road, Pasay City. Call 851-2681 or 511-1259.

List of evacuation centers

 Philippine Red Cross

Call the Red Cross chapter nearest you to find out how you can help.

University of the Philippines

Relief Ops of UP Diliman at CHK gym. Immediate need of donations and volunteers.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

The IPOD V (I am PUP Operation Damayan Volunteer), the official volunteer group of PUP Community Relations and Extension for Development Office, is now calling for donations and volunteers. You may reach the group through their contact number: 09169374280 or by going to South Wing, Room 308 at PUP Mabini Campus.

Enderun Colleges

Please send your food donations to Enderun Colleges, Mckinley Hill, Taguig City. The students will cook and prepare meal packs for distribution to evacuation centers.

UA&P

UA&P Relief Operations: You can drop off your donations at Escriva gate, Pearl Drive gate, or Prom A.

Muntinlupa City Hall

The Muntinlupa City Hall is calling for donations of relief goods and volunteers for rescue and relief operations.

Sagip Kapamilya

Drop off your donations in kind at the Sagip Kapamilya Headquarters at 13 Examiner St., West Triangle, Quezon City.

Reedley International School

 Reedley International School is accepting donations at Josol Bldg, E. Rodriguez, Jr Ave.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)

 PLM is accepting donations until August 24, Saturday.

Ateneo De Manila University

Send your donations to LS Covered Court until 8:00 p.m. on August 21.

Victory Center

Victory Santa Rosa accepting donations everyday until Sep1, 10am-7pm at Victory Center,Laguna Bel Air2,Santa Rosa. Victory Ortigas is accepting donations in the form of instant noodles, canned goods, bread, bottled water, coffee, mats & blankets.

DONATE IN KIND

LBC

Drop off your donations at LBC branches. They will be turned over to Red Cross.

Air21

Air21 accepts donations in all Mail and More branches nationwide and will distribute to areas affected by the flood.

McDonald’s

Help victims of #MaringPH by donating goods in kind to any McDo store located in MM starting today until Aug 25.

Santuario de San Antonio

Santuario de San Antonio  in McKinley Road, Makati is accepting donations.

DONATE IN CASH

DSWD

DSWD Peso Current Account: # 3122-1011-84, Landbank of the Philippines Batasan, Quezon City.
 DSWD US Dollar Savings Account Foreign Donation # 3124-0055-81 Swift Code TLBPPHMMXXX. Landbank of the Philippines, Batasan.

Gawad Kalinga

Gawad Kalinga is asking for cash pledges to buy relief goods for the villages affected in Taguig.

#GilasPilipinasMaringFund

Deposit to Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. – BDO Acct# 00-5310-41016-4 or BPI Acct# 1443-0533-32. Just deposit with the note #GilasPilipinasMaringFund.

Philippine Red Cross

There are many ways to send your cash donations. You may also send them via SMS. Text RED AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart).

GMA Network’s Telethon

Operating hours: August 20 4pm-11:30pm, Telethon number 9811950; August 21, 6 AM – 11:30 P.M.

Ayala Foundation

Make a donation to Laging Handa.

Info grabbed here.

One Summer Day

This would be a perfect outfit to wear to the beach, minus the wedges, of course. But the problem is my whole summer is preoccupied with internships. I'm having my hospital internship this month and soon I'll be staying in Antipolo (roughly a 2-hour ride from Manila) for my manufacturing internship this May. We are required to finish two hundred working hours for each area, and this will take up my entire summer. So you see, I don't have time to bask under the sun, swim and just do whatever other people are doing right now. It's so hot here in the city and everyday I can't help but think about the fun  my friends are having in various places around the world.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS... I'm finally graduating this October!!! I'm sure all my hardships and sacrifices would be worth it once I receive my diploma. And an additional "RPh" after my name wouldn't hurt either. :)

Wild Child

I haven't worn this jacket ever since I bought it at H&M. The heat here in the Philippines made it literally impossible for me to wear this on a regular day. So the second I knew that I'd be going to the extremely cold SMX for fashion week, I made a mental note to myself to wear the things that I've barely worn, specially those pieces intended for colder weather. At first, I wanted to pair this jacket with my leather pants but figured that I might have a hard time walking due to my leather pants being insanely tight. I settled for this skirt instead and went match-y match-y with my wedges.

The Philippines’ Next Shopping Obsession: Usharethis.net

What do you get when social networking meets shopping? A new obsession! People embracing the idea that book marking and social sharing slowly are replacing search with regards to product discovery. We’re taking that experience closer to you. Usharethis.net a social store created by the community.