Pacman's Wild Card Gym

The "Pacman" has always been a national not to mention a local icon here at General Santos city. The Pacquiaos have always invested a lot of their earnings in the city, and one such investment is the opening of the 

Pacman Wild Card Gym.

On the way up to the Wild Card Gym, you will notice the usual fixtures of framed pictures of this highly regarded couple.

Church Hopping in Singapore

In our visits to Singapore, one of the places that we never fail to visit are its churches. Considering the multi-faceted culture of the people in Singapore, almost every race and religion imaginable has its own place of worship in the city. The striking contrast in architectural structures here is something to marvel at...well, at least for me.

Take for example St. Andrew's Cathedral, at 11 Andrew's Road.

Exploring the Food in Singapore

In my visits to Singapore, one of the things I like the most is the food. It is true what they say that Singaporeans love to eat. Of course we wonder why true blue Singaporeans remain thin and  fit despite their love for eating. Hmmm. they might know something I don't. just kiddin. 

But the food choices here are endless. And to be truthful, quite intimidating. Singapore’s multi-cultural diversity is reflected in the variety of local cuisine it has to offer,

Blugre Coffee - Mindanao's Pride

With the emergence of foreign owned coffee shops in and around the entire archipelago, Blugre Coffee comes as a breath of fresh air. We take pride in knowing that this coffee shop is Mindanao's pride having originated from Davao and owned by Filipino coffee connoisseurs. Husband and wife team Gatchi and Larcy Gatchalian both Davaowenyos founded the coffee shop with their first branch in Davao year 1998.

Mt. Sabrina Mountain View Resort (Jam's Garden Restaurant)

Mt. Sabrina at dusk

I've previously blogged about this beautiful resort on top of a hill, overlooking the picturesque Sarangani Bay. Quite frankly, I get confused whether it is really called Jam's Garden Resort or Mt. Sabrina Garden Resort. But forget the name since the mere mention of Mt. Sabrina to locals, they will readily point you to this wonderful resort.

First Glimpse of Mt. Sabrina Garden Resort

Up in the hills (Mt. Sabrina), hidden from view of the public's prying eyes sits Jam's Garden Resto-Bar. The handsome property started as a venue for countless prenup shoots done in the area, well mostly by Mr. OSG :).  Maybe due to the picturesque view in these hills, The owner Ms. Sol Mananquil, decided to invest in the property and put up a permanent structure which is perfect for garden weddings. 

I love the view from up here, where you can see all the way to Sarangani Bay. 

According to photographer extraordinaire -- Mr. OSG (excuse me for being biased :), sunsets here are breathtaking. So if you are planning on having a garden wedding, you might want to consider having it here at Jam's Garden Resto-Bar.

I remember MR. OSG telling me a story about the first garden wedding that was held here at Jam's Garden and Resto-bar, they had no covered areas yet, and the wedding party was constantly getting worried should the heavens shower them on their very special day. According to the owner, she will put up a permanent structure if the wedding goes well without a hitch. Well, I suppose the heavens wanted future brides to enjoy the place so true enough, we can see and enjoy the new buildings put up in the  area. Here are a few of the pictures from that wedding...

Their restaurant on the other hand, sits with pride in the highest peak of the entire establishment. 

From my visit there, I think, they can comfortably sit around 50 people inside the air conditioned hall and about 20 more in the restaurant's entrance. 

 This is of course just my guess-timate so you might want to see for yourself how many of your guests can be seated comfortably if you prefer the covered area.

For inquiries, you can get in touch with them through these numbers: (0917) 708-1693 or (083) 553-2763 .

Gala Builders Supply - Our Story

Gala Hardware at Mabuhay Rd. cor Nunez Sts., General Santos City

 Finally! Something to blog about (brag about actually - excuse the pun :) ) ... I've been blogging for almost three years now, raving about other people's business establishments and giving my honest opinion about their place, their food and etc. I've always been a bit shy to talk about our business, much less to blog about it here in Pinay Travelogue. But the time has come that I've finally have something to blog ("brag") about when Gala Builders Supply, our bread and butter, was recognized by the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) as a Bronze recipient of its Bagwis Awards 2012. 

The Bagwis Award is awarded to business establishments that adhere to strict consumer laws such as selling only items with PS/ICC marks for products with mandatory standards, having consumer welfare desks and giving quality customer care to clients. The Bagwis Program aims to give due recognition to business establishments, that are compliant with all trade laws implemented by the DTI. Apart from this, it also encourages establishments to participate in government programs to become socially responsible businesses and provide safe and quality products and services to consumers. Consequently, the interests and welfare of consumers are protected and they are guaranteed to get the best value for their money.

The Bagwis Award comes as a surprise for both Mr. OSG and me, since we are not even aware there was a business ethics standards, let alone an awards committee giving recognition to small businesses such as ours. As far as we were concerned, we try our best to conduct our business by being honest to our customers and providing them with the best service our people can offer. It is also a fact that we value our people as partners since they are after all part and parcel in whatever success we attain. We owe it to them for whatever accolades our store gets. (Is this famas speech material or what? hehe)

Gala Builders Supply has come a long way. From one store in Cannery site, Polomolok in the year 2000 when we started, we have now expanded to three stores in all. One in Poblacion, Polomolok and another newly opened in Purok Malakas, Gen. Santos city (photo above). I remember when we started, we only had around 20-30 bags of cement a few hardware materials for sale and P20,000 pesos in revolving capital. At the time we started, Mr. OSG is the designated delivery driver and manager and I was the saleslady and cashier. Our staff at the time is only three heads, when you buy something from them in the morning, they will be the same ones to deliver the orders in the afternoon hehe. We know and embody the meaning of "multi-tasking". You can ask our loyal staff, some of whom are still with us till this day. 

We had humble beginnings, and we have worked hard for more than a decade now, building what Gala Builders Supply is today. Of course, at the end of the day, we still have our own share of headaches and stress but when we look back at what we've accomplished, our business has given us a wonderful learning experience. We still continue to improve and rise up amidst all our mistakes businesswise. The Bagwis Awards is the cherry on top  of the cake and we are so proud to have been recognized. Thank you, this means a lot to us. 

Thailand Chronicles: Ayutthaya Elephant Kraal ...

Elephants! 

Clearly, they are one of God's gentlest creatures. 

They are highly revered by the Thais.

So, we couldn't pass up the chance of an elephant ride over at the 

Ayutthaya Elephant Kraal. 

Ayutthaya, Thailand's former capital, is an hour's drive from Bangkok. It is filled with historical architecture and home to a number of elephants, most of which are friendly as they are used to tourists. 

The Royal Elephant Kraal is one of the worlds oldest elephant kraal which dates back to the 1500s or so as we were told by our mahoot (elephant handler). 

For an Elephant ride around Ayutthaya Historical Park, be prepared to shell out 100 - 500 Baht depending on the route. Photos if taken by their official photographer is quite pricey at about 100-150 baht and up. But our mahoot was kind enough to ask a fellow mahoot to take our photo on the elephant using our camera (although we were  getting worried of him running away with our camera tee-hee!!) for a measly tip of 20 baht. :) 

This particular Elephant ride was included in the Ayutthaya tour. For more details on the Ayutthaya tour, be prepared to shell out 1,900 baht for a whole day tour including air conditioned coaches, tour guide, buffet lunch at a hotel and mineral waters and refreshing towels after every stop. :) or check out my other blogpost on the tour here.

For inquiries, contact World Travel Service Ltd at tel (662) 2335900-9 or email them at: kusa@mozart.inet.co.th or visit their website here.

Kee's Cafe and Restaurant by Jinkee Pacquiao

At first glance,you would think that Kee's Cafe is just an ordinary coffee shop just like any other coffee shops  scattered all over General Santos city. But look again, it offers a wide array of delectable dishes... Kee's Cafe is a restaurant, open 24 hours daily. 

Beef Roll with mushrooms in tomato puree and pesto...yum! one of my ready favorites!

Kee's Cafe is the brainchild of Ms. Jinkee Pacquiao, lovely wife of world boxing champ Manny Pacquiao. It serves not only as a coffeeshop but a restaurant which has a wide selection of yummy dishes among which are the Pacman's personal favorites.

Upon entering the restaurant, photos of the power couple line the walls. It is of course understandable since the restaurant cum coffee shop is relying heavily on its bankable owners to attract its target clientele.

Upon my visit at Kee's Cafe, Chef Nestor Palle, a chef who just came from Saipan, whipped up a few of his mean dishes which according to him will be included in the restaurant's menu come November this year. So I was touched that they invited me over to sample these sumptuous fare. First dish I tasted is the Seafood Saute, a seafood delicacy made from fish dory, shrimps with capers and olives brandished with lemon butter.  Its sweet, pungent and somewhat salty taste is something new to the palate.   

This following dish, Garlic Chicken with Mustard and Balsamic Sauce is also new to my taste. The sourness of the balsamic vinegar coupled with mustard is truly something that puts your teeth on the edge but it was just right to balance out the taste of the garlic chicken. But to be honest, this one might not be in my list of favorites from the dishes that I've tasted here so far. I'm not a fan of anything sour, sorry. hehe. 

The Japanese Harumaki, which according to Chef Nestor is originally a Vietnamese delicacy, but chef named this particular dish "harumaki" owing to the fact that in Japanese, it means "spring roll". This spring roll is a combination of julienned veggies with chicken. Another new viand to my taste, I find this one a good contender for appetizers. 

Being a meat-lover, the Pork Barbeque Spareribs with Special Sauce below became one of my easy favorites. It has a sweet, tangy taste that is prevalent to a dish such as this.  I am sure this dish will also be a hit with the kids. :) 

Expect a lot of delectable Oriental culinary masterpieces from Chef Nestor (2nd from the left) and the rest of Kee's Cafe and Restaurant's cooking staff. Take my word for it, the dishes I've sampled are just the tips of the iceberg. They still have lots of new and exciting dishes coming out so expect something distinct for the ardent dining public.

If I was surprised that Kee's Cafe is actually a restaurant, I was even more astounded to find out that they also serve cocktails! Roadhaus hotel and Kee's Cafe's operation manager informed me that to make it more formal, they will be opening a mini-bar in the hotel. So here are a few of the cocktails they will be serving: From left: The Pacman Punch (a somewhat strong concoction of 5 - yes five! - alcoholic beverage with a hint of orange which can literally knock you out as fast as the Pacman throws punches); the Counter Punch (below right, which is mostly vodka and four seasons juice, perfect for the ladies) and the Upper Cut (top right, another vodka based cocktail). 

And of course, I just have to mention that Kee's Cafe also has a number of yummy cupcakes (all flown from Manila from the kitchen of Ms. Pia Cayetano so I was told) for its diners who just want a sip of their brewed coffees. 

Kee's Cafe and Restaurant is located at Aparente St., corner Block 0, Dadiangas Heights, General Santos City. You can make reservations or inquiries by calling them at (083) 553 8888 or visit their website here.

The Opulence of the Manilay Ancestral House

In a secluded corner in Purok Malakas in General Santos city sits this stately old house owned by the Manilays.  It was said that the house was originally located at San Pablo, Laguna, owned originally by Mr. Warren Manilay's grandfather, the esteemed Don Juan Manilay. But in order to preserve the old world splendor of the ancestral house of the Manilay lineage, they transported the entire house piece by piece to its current location in GenSan. 

Coupled with the love of Mr and Mrs Manilay in anything antique, the house served as a perfect backdrop to house their collection of antiques. Mr. Manilay is also an avid collector of antique cars, which makes this vintage truck very at home beside the ancestral house. And i have been a witness to the many pre-nups shot in the area which features this classic automobile.

While going around inside the house, I found this old typewriter. I just had to take a photo of it and imagine what it  must've felt like to be Jane Austen typing a novel in the 1800s. The number of antiques in the house even rival those of the best museums in the country.

This staircase going to the second floor is resplendent of the days of old when the men courted their women in the presence of the prying eyes of a parent or a lolo or lola. :) Hmmm. I think this can still be applied to our household  when my daughter comes of age. hehe. Now, how to get me a staircase like this for our house...hmmm.

On the second floor, there is a bedroom that reminds me of Maria Clara's bedroom should she have lived all those years ago, complete with mosquito netting draped as curtains in the poster bed.

They also have antique trinkets and treasures that are locked in glass cabinets like these pair ofsilver hairbrushes that must've been used by royalty once upon a time. :)

Can you imagine listening to this age old radio? Soap opera anyone?

Harps! Who has them? I haven't seen a real-live harp before, so this one comes as a treat!

Need to make a phone call? Just don't ask me how to use it. I absolutely have no idea how it works. :)

If I've piqued your interest in visiting this majestic house, you can make reservations by calling the Goldenstate College, look for Ms. Rose at (083) 552-5544 (083) 552-5544. They also allow walk in visits as you would in a museum but I'm not sure how much they charge for it. But for pre-nups or photo sessions, they charge P3,000 for 3hours, succeeding hours at P500 per hour.

To Get there: from the National Highway, turn left (or right) at the Shell Gas Station/Jollibee to Mabuhay Road. Just follow the road and turn right at Nunez St. (you will see a Gala Hardware store at Jhonston Building in Nunez) once you reach Goldenstate Little College, turn left and you will find the ancestral house. Tricycles parked at National Highway will likewise take you there just let them know you want to go to the Manilay Ancestral House. 

Manny Pacquiao's Roadhaus Hotel

Manny and Jinky Pacquiao has always been GenSan's power celebrity couple. So it was no surprise that visitors to the city, especially first timers are curious to visit and some to stay at their very own

 Roadhaus Hotel. 

I for one couldn't contain my excitement to tour around the Pacman's hotel, hoping against hope that he might be there checking his business.

Their hotel's facade is of modern architecture that is predominantly composed of parallel steel  lines adorned with classy plants and bonsai trees which according to our host, cost about P25k per plant!

Upon entering the hotel, I noticed pictures upon pictures of the power couple. Of course this is understandable since most of the Pacman's establishments in the city are treated by visitors in the city as a tourist spot. It was even mentioned by our host that they are thinking of bundling a tour of the Pacquiao's famous mansion as part of the perks of staying at the Roadhaus Hotel. Hmmm... I for one wouldn't mind staying there if it means I could sneak a peak inside that posh mansion.

Roadhaus Hotel strikes me as a chic motor inn. They have rooms that have provisions for parking for the avid traveler. 

All of their rooms are fully air-conditioned  which comes with complimentary breakfast, bottled water (which I must mention is also bottled by the Pacman water station), WIFI Internet access, PABX telephone system, hot and cold shower, LCD TVs and a state of the art electronic door lock system. Airport Transfers  are also available upon request.

Their Standard Twin room will take you back for P2,240 per night with all the standard amenities mentioned above.

Standard Triple Room costs about P2,560 with three single beds, sofa, coffee table and chairs.

A Superior Room with 2 matrimonial beds, sofa, dinette, reading desk, mini bar, coffee/tee making facilities will cost about P3,200.

And the Roadhaus Suite P2,560 complete with a matrimonial bed and all other amenities.

The Roadhaus Hotel is located at Aparente Street, Bgy. Dadiangas Heights, General Santos City. You can book your rooms through these numbers: (083) 553-8888; 553-5335 or email them at inquiries@roadhaushotel.com Visit their website here.

Thailand Chronicles: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

It was my first time to be at a floating market. So you can just imagine my excitement when it was final that we were going on the Floating Market Tour and have a 30-45 minute boat ride to the famous ...

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

in Ratchaburi, Thailand. 

It is one of the most famously known floating markets, and a major tourist destination in Thailand.

Our guide keeps on stressing that the market has been around for decades. And riding on the small boat, I thought.. "boy.. she sure wasn't kidding!". On the way to the market, there were inhabitants on the sides of the man-made canals which were there probably for years and years. And I think we passed by a huge pipe or two which was literally connected to a Thai house's restroom!  I almost had a heart attack when the water on the stream was literally splashing on our faces. Talk about a real adventure. hehe.

Of course, I was just trying to be sarcastic about the polluted water. But the trip going to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, was like a trip back in history. It was as if I was living in the era where rivers were part of the main thoroughfares of this culture rich country. Most of the houses we passed by have their own boats so it means that in this part of Thailand, most of them still use the streams if only for the benefit of tourists since the floating market is a major tourist destination in Thailand. So it was obvious that most of the people living there mainly benefit from tourists frequenting the area.

At the floating market, the merchants are literally selling their wares in boats. There were fruits of every kind, food and snacks like traditional Thai rice cakes, and souvenirs for every avid tourist.