A Taste of The Good Life... only at Pearl Farm Beach Resort

Tucked in the Island Garden City of Samal and Malipano Island is a picturesque resort that will surely take  your usual R&R to a higher level. What I am talking about of course is none other than Pearl Farm Beach Resort. The resort sits on a scenic part of the island of what used to be a south-sea pearl cultivation area. 

Before reaching the main resort, first timers will be in awe of the magnificent native interiors used in the hotel as they are ushered in the posh Pearl Farm Beach Resort’s Davao Marina. This is the drop off point to and from the resort where guests will board the boat on a 45 minute ride. The Davao Marina in itself is a hotel where rooms and accommodation plus a few of the luxuries of the resort are made available for overnight  guests who wish to stay in the city. Also very convenient for guests of the resort who still need to catch an early plane to another destination since they can opt to stay there for a night after their sojourn at the beach resort.

Upon arrival at the beach resort, guests are welcomed by Maranao music along with the gracious staff handing out fruit juices at the Parola Bar. The Parola Bar transforms as entertainment center at night, where guests can enjoy different draft concoctions while enjoying the view of the sea and the sunset.

My favorite part of the resort is the Maranao infinity pool, a well photographed sort of landmark of the resort.  The Mandaya pool on the other side of the resort is also another good attraction of the resort (not to mention near the Mandaya house where we stayed) which has a sort of Jacuzzi pool and a mini waterfall cascading to the main pool. The only setback is, the pool is only open from 9AM to 5PM. It might have been a terrific idea to be able to enjoy swimming  at the pool since we are mighty scared to swim in the beach at night. For guests with kids in tow (who don’t enjoy movie nights) it might’ve been an added plus for them to go night swimming at the pool. Hoping they extend the usage of the pool until 8-9PM at the least.

Apart from that minor glitch in swimming pool hours, the resort exudes luxury. It has 70 well-appointed rooms, executive suites, cottages on stilts perched on the sea, and exclusive villas scattered in the resort. The interiors are mostly inspired by the rich Mindanaoan tribe’s cultures with mainly bamboo and wood used to decorate the entire resort.

For us, we stayed at the Mandaya house facing the ocean which offers a relaxing view of the sea and the resort and very close to the Mandaya pool.

What I love about it is the big king sized poster bed hung with billowy clouds of mosquito netting. Perfect for honeymooners or a small family of three like us.

Inside the main bedroom is a huge dressing area complete with toiletries and a pocket garden at the back with an outside shower! How good is that? :) My little girl can’t even contain her excitement on whether to try the outside showers or raid the well-stocked mini bar first. But of course I had to remind her that the mini-bar was stocked not for us to devour as we please since we have to keep in mind that everything in it was there to be added on top of our bill and she’s gonna have to turn over her piggy bank to mommy should she consume all the candies in the ref. :)

During our stay at the resort, we were treated to a fire dance which earned a lot of screams as well as delight from the guests (including me and my daughter :) ) while we had dinner al fresco at the beach. 

The food of course is also worth mentioning as it was a truly delightful experience dining at the resort, with gastronomic feasts well-prepared by their superb chefs. We enjoyed the buffet banquets whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner as there are always an array of mouth-watering  dishes and a wide assortment of cuisine to choose from. Our hats off to the chefs of the resort for always coming up with glorious fare.  A good culinary experience for us altogether. 

Another good point worth mentioning is the courteousness of the staff. Whenever we pass by a staff, they never fail to greet us with a smile. Our needs were always met, towels always available, our room always clean. Even from the start when we booked our stay, we were assisted by their gracious Reservations Officers.  I always believe that the secret to a successful resort or hotel is in its staff.  They are the ones who make the resort a home away from home. 

So with a heavy heart, we leave the resort with a mental note to return once again once our schedules and pockets allow us to. We absolutely love Pearl Farm Beach Resort, a  resort that makes us Mindanaoans proud to have within our shores. 

Tips for tourists:  Since the resort is a AAA class resort, be prepared to shell out about US$150++ (to as high as US$680++ for a villa) and above for an overnight stay. Local tourists can avail of their promo packages which are way cheaper than the rack rates by more than half. You can view their existing promos and packages here. For a taste of the resort experience, you can book a day tour for only Php1,750/pax which includes round trip boat transfers to and from the Davao Marina, and 1 lunch. 

For reservations:  Davao Sales Office: G/F Alflocor Corporate Center, Damosa Bldg., Lanang Davao City;  Tel No:  (63 82) 235-0876, 234-0601 Fax No: 235-0873

Getting There:

By plane: From Manila, three (3) major airlines fly daily which takes approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. From Cebu, two (2) major airlines fly daily which takes approximately 50 minutes. (If you are coming from Gensan, Davao to Gensan takes about 2 hours 30 minutes’ drive) 

By Boat: Two (2) shipping lines have regular trips to Davao from various points of the country 

From the Davao International Airport, guests will be transported to Pearl Farm Beach Resort’s Davao Marina – where guests will board the boat which takes about 45 minutes to Samal Island where the resort is located. There are four (4) trips to and from Pearl Farm daily.

REGULAR BOAT TRANSFERS SCHEDULE (Sccheduled to change w/o prior notice)

From Davao Marina ( Lizada Road) to Pearl Farm Beach Resort:

8:00 am / 1:30 pm / 4:00 pm / 6:00 pm

From Pearl Farm to Davao Marina ( Lizada Road):

  6:45 am / 10:00am / 1:00 pm / 4:00 pm 

**NOTE: **The COMMENTS FORM is found below the last comment. Pls scroll your mouse, sometimes it just disappears since my background is black.. looking for someone to help me fix it. Sorry for the inconvenience dear readers. :)

Casabella...a home away from home

As it name implies, Casabella is a ladies dormitel located right in the heart of downtown Davao. It is one of the few of its type that has very good facilities, clean and very much worth your money.

They have rooms for single occupancy if you are in Davao alone to attend a meeting or a workshop for a few days just like I did when I was there,  and rooms for sharing if you intend to stay there for a month or a year.

I love that each room has its own toilet and bath, a table for your things and a closet if you intend to stay longer. I only stayed there for three days and yet there were towels, clean linen and a few toiletries already laid out for a meager P500/day rate in a single bed room. :)

It is conveniently located near Davao Doctors Hospital and the Tower Inn . There is a nearby chicken house and lots of small restos so you don't have to worry about food. There is also a convenience store downstairs if you need to buy water and other personal effects you might have forgotten to pack.  But what I like the best is that there is a "Fagioli"coffee shop right downstairs as well. So I get to enjoy a cup of my favorite coffee while blogging. :) 

For inquiries, you may visit their office at E. Quirino Ave corner Gen. Luna St, Davao City, or call them at 082.301.5439, Mobile: 0917.702.4838 Email: ivy ‘@’ davaodorm.com

or visit their website here.

**All pictures are from their website at http://davaodorm.com/tour/ ..It was so unfortunate for me to have left my camera at home during my entire stay there :(

Effigy - A Definite Success!

Just this weekend, Mr. Omar Gallinero (aka Mr. OSG in this blog :), had an advance birthday celebration by giving back to his fellow photography hobbyists a little of what he learned in this art. The portraiture workshop dubbed as "Effigy" was a resounding success with the number of interested hobbyists all vying for the coveted slots. But it was only to the first fifteen participants who settled the measly workshop fee at Montage who were given priority. I just realized how popular Mr. OSG have become since we had to turn down a number of interested participants even during d-day! :D

Effigy was held at Lagare (yes as in "saw) resort in General Santos city. The participants had a wonderful time spending the morning shooting the versatile model Ms. Ghen Mutia, currently the Ms. Gensan pageant titlist.  HMUA (hair and make-up artist) and stylist was..ahhmm..yours truly :)

Mr. OSG started the workshop with a brief lecture before the participants had the chance to shoot Ms. Mutia around the resort. The afternoon was spent with a comprehensive lecture and discussions on Mr. OSG's basic portraiture workflow.

Lunch and free flowing coffee was served during the entire workshop. And from my point of view, considering the participant's output photos, they learned a lot from Mr. OSG. I was even a little scared looking at the future competition we may have in these participants :) Great job guys!

To our resident photographer, a happy happy birthday and continue shooting great portraits!

To view the participant's output photos, please click here. For information on future workshops of GCC - Gensan Camera Club or Mr. OSG, please "like" their Facebook pages here.

EFFIGY...by MR. OSG

For the month of May, our resident psychic (hehe) and photographer, Mr. OSG will be celebrating his nth birthday (--secret daw ang age sorry). As a treat to photography enthusiasts especially to the members of GCC (Gensan Camera Club) who supported him during his term, he is giving a Portraiture Workshop dubbed as [drumroll...] "Effigy". This will be held on  May 14th, with the venue to be announced soon. 

Effigy is a one day workshop inclusive of lunch for a minimal fee of five hundred pesosesoses. Strictly limited to 15 slots so don't be surprised if they don't hold a slot for you for more than a day. The first ones to pay at Montage will be assured of a slot. So what are you waiting for? As I am writing this blog, slots are quickly disappearing. (Who wouldn't want to attend since the registration fee is actually a steal, right?) 

As pre-requisite participants should have attended basic photography workshop/seminar and knowledge in Adobe Photoshop CS3 or higher. Bring your laptops with you for the post processing sessions (of course, in your hurry, don't forget your DSLR cams as well).

For Reservation: Pls Contact Prexy Ramil Chio Blah, GCC President.
For Payment: Look for Nante or Cris at Montage Gaisano Mall.

For more of Mr. OSG's works, visit (and "like") his page at facebook here.

Being "Librodized" - The Manny Librodo Experience

photo courtesy of Mr Manny Librodo, taken at San Francisco

To some of my readers who are not photography enthusiasts, I could understand if you have no idea who Mr. Manny Librodo is. But in the world of photography hobbyists and professionals, Mr. Manuel Libres Librodo, Jr. is making waves not only in his native Philippines but around the globe as well. He is  a world renowned photographer and instructor whose works have been featured in the glossy and prestigious pages of  National Geographic. His photo of a Burmese boy graced the cover of UNICEF's wall calendar 2009. A three-time Grand Prize winner of www.betterphoto.com and Digital Camera Magazine's (UK) Photographer of the Year. Manny is a highly sought-after speaker who had conducted sold out workshops in US, Canada, Australia, Holland, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines. He was even named by Scott Kelby as one of the FIVE BEST PHOTOGRAPHERS of the world in 2009. 

So just this April 2011,  he graced the halls of Kalsangi, Polomolok for his Gensan leg of nationwide workshops. A number of photo enthusiasts attended his workshop dubbed as "Landscape of Emotions - Gensan Workshop2".  For the photoshoot, he was accompanied by model, hair and make-up artist, stylist and designer Ms. Kharunisia Jazmin whose fascinating creativity is very evident in the different concepts and looks which never fails to leave the participant/photographers in awe. 

The two day workshop consists of a photoshoot and a brief lecture on the first day and a comprehensive post processing session and Mr. Librodo's workflow orientation on the second day. 

This is the second year that Mr. Librodo conducted a workshop in Gensan. But it was an added treat being featured in the local news special thanks to Ms. Anne Santos of ABS-CBN Gensan. (click on the link to watch the video)

Below are some of the photos of the participants in this workshop, you can also view their photos/output here.

So what is the essence of being "Librodized"? It is not in so much as learning the technicalities of photography, it is in getting in touch with your creative juices and learning to frame an artistic photo. It is "taking a photo from the heart" as I quote from Mr. Librodo himself.  For him, taking a good photo is not over-thinking it, but catching the moment before it passes. It is framing life in its simplest form.

If you want to be "Librodized" you can check out schedules of his workshops worldwide here. Also, check out Mr. Librodo's works at pbase. 

For upcoming Gensan workshops, contact organizer Mr. OSG or Prism Events for information and details. 

Piyesta KTV and RestoBar...Filipino food at its finest

Piyesta KTV and RestoBar first struck me as a quirky restaurant. And I was not mistaken, its  strikingly unconventional facade spelled out fun and merriment. As its name implies, the food they serve are fit for feasts and gatherings. Fiesta food and fanfare!

Piyesta serves some of the yummiest Filipino delicacies in Gensan. One of my personal favorites is the sweet and sour pork. Sure you would say that this is one of the usual and ordinary dishes in most restaurants serving Filipino food. But theirs is the perfect mix of the sour and tangy with the perfect touch of sweetness that leaves you craving for more. 

My first taste of their Crispy Tuna Buntot was really mouth watering. Grilled (or fried) just right, you can just savor it like  any pork dish. Excuse me for being a meat lover but I am happy to say that their Tuna dishes sometimes make me forget that I am actually nom-noming seafood.  :) Other must try dishes are the Kura stick, Sinuglaw and Binusog na Pusit.

The Kura Stick @ only P85 per order

They have the yummiest floats: Durian, Mango and Avocado

For parties of four or more, be sure to try the set Piyesta Meals. A combination of two or three dishes so you can taste a little of everything they have. There are about eight variations to choose from, so you are never left confused on what to order if it is your first time to dine there. Price ranges from P550-P800, quite cheap considering the feast that they will serve you. We never fail to satisfy guests we constantly bring here by ordering any of their set meals.

They also have KTV rooms for the avid singer wanna-bes. You can order your food and take it inside the rooms at consumable rates of P300 per hour for 5persons or P500 per hour for 10 persons.

Piyesta KTV and RestoBar is located conveniently at the al fresco dining area at Robinson's Place Gensan. For reservations or inquiries, you can call them at 083 500-2139.

Special thanks to Mr. Brian Congson for the pictures featured in this entry.

Adrenaline Pumping Seven Falls Zipline

Lake Sebu in South Cotabato  is slowly becoming one of the top tourist destinations in Mindanao. If you are within the vicinity, make sure to visit the Seven Falls Zipline. Adrenaline junkies will get more than just the usual thrill that comes with the ride, but a visual treat of the breathtaking view of the falls and surrounding greenery.

The zipline consists of two lines, the first one spans 740 meters and 200 meters in height, readily one of the highest zipline in south east asia. Jump off is at falls no. 1 also known as Dongon Falls (or Hikong Alu in the local dialect which means passage). Once strapped, you can go in pairs or in threesome depending on your combined weight. For the brave, why not go alone to fully experience the exhilaration that comes with the feeling of flying. :) 

Your first zipline will take you directly to the fifth falls or Hikong Ukol (meaning wildflower in T'boli) . I assure you that the experience is one of the picturesque rides you will ever have in a zipline. You will be in awe of the magnificent view of the four falls - the second falls (Hikong Bente or unmeasurable falls, being the tallest of all the seven), the third (Hikong B'lebel meaning coil or zigzag), the fourth (Hikong Lowig which means booth) and fifth falls (Hikong Ukol).

The second zipline spans about 400m which takes you from falls no. 5 (Hikong Ukol) to falls no. 2 (Hikong Bente). Of course if you don't like the thrill the comes with the ziplines, you can always trek down from falls no. 1/Hikong Alu to falls no. 2/Hikong Bente. There are paved pathways which makes it easier, but its a long walk from falls 1 to 2, so be sure too wear comfortable walking shoes. You can always bring your car to the 2nd falls nevertheless. :)  Falls six  Hikong K’fo-I (“Short”) and seven Hikong Tonok (“Soil”) on the other hand is a bit far from the rest of the falls and we were told would take a longer trek down the valley, so we didn't bother finding it.

For the zipline ride, be prepared to shell out P250 (or P200 during weekdays), that will cover both ziplines.

Help Save Tuka Marine Sanctuary

When you come to Tuka Marine Park, you will be in awe of the beauty of its beaches.  It is divided into four coves, so there are different choices for the avid beach lover.

This one is taken at Tuka cove 3 where the stretch of sand is perfect even for families with little kids who love to wade on the shallow waters. With its clear water, you can see a variety of small fish swimming alongside you. A great way to spend the time looking for Nemo. :)

But for me, I've always known Tuka Marine Park as a sanctuary for a number of different species of fish and other marine life, with rich coral reefs. Well, that was years ago. I wish I had underwater photos to vouch for the beauty of its coral reefs before. It is a 10-ha protected reef area spanning 2 small coves south of Buko Mountain as we were told. It includes fringing reefs with a  20-70o slope.

So it came as a shock that during the last SEx Tour (Soccsksargen Experience Tour) with other bloggers just recently, the beautiful coral gardens were not as they used to be. An infestation of the Crown-of-thorns starfish has done a lot of damage on its live coral reefs. Photos below will show the damage these pests have done on the coral gardens in the area.

Excuse my photos, it is taken with my point and shoot camera in a dicapac :)

The crown-of-thorns has done extensive damage to this once rich coral gardens

For your info, the crown-of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a large nocturnal sea star that preys upon coral polyps. The crown-of-thorns receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its body. It is endemic to tropical coral reeds in the Red Sea, The Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. As a solitary animal, they feed alone and maintain constant distance between themselves and other members of their species. (Information taken from the wikipedia).

taken at Tuka about 2 yrs ago, there were just a few of these then

This is the only starfish we may not grow fond of. :) As it may grow to about a foot across, it feeds on live corals by climbing onto reef structures, and then extrude their stomach onto the coral. This releases digestive enzymes that allow the starfish to absorb nutrients from the liquefied coral tissue. The crown-of-thorns also preys on brittle stars in a similar fashion.They are voracious predators. An individual starfish can consume up to 6 square metres (65 sq ft) of living coral reef per year. (also from the wikipedia)

Photo courtesy of Mr. Jeff Jeffords  of dive gallery

It is hard to control an infestation of this type since the crown-of-thorns when under stress can create outbreaks and, if dismembered, can regenerate from each severed or damaged limb, creating more sea stars. Therefore, controlling the crown-of-thorns is difficult and much care is required. 

The people of Kiamba are calling on Scuba clubs and scuba enthusiasts/volunteers to help harvest these one by one since it is the only way to prevent further damage on Tuka's coral reefs. For more information , please get in touch with Ms Michelle Lopez-Solon, or Mr. Avel Manansala.

Confessions of a Photographer's Wife

This is a repost from my mommy journals blog, for all photography enthusiasts having a difficult time convincing their gal on the oftentimes misunderstood hobby they get themselves into :) just thought i'd share it with you... have fun reading!
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Two years ago when hubby and I were in the middle of an event in Cebu, our point and shoot camera suddenly died a natural death. Probably due to old age or to the numerous bruises it got due to misuse (hehe..i have the habit of dropping it when i have something exciting I want to take a picture of), at that time, it just decided to stop working. So on the spot, we decided to purchase a DSLR camera, but later did I discover that hubby has been researching the net beforehand about photography and using a professional camera so you can imagine how good he was at that point in convincing me to buy that dslr cam on the store window we were looking at. And I guess after that, you can say the rest was history...

this is one of Mr. OSG's earlier photos.

I am writing this for all the ladies out there who has her man hooked into photography and doesn’t have an inkling about it. So here are my takes on the different issues and lessons i learned along the way...

• Photography as I figured has a lot of different facets. There’s macro photography, seascape and landscape photography, portraits, events photography, underwater photography, among others. If your man is hooked, understand which facet he is interested in. It will give you an idea on what to expect.

• Macro and underwater photography, I’m not that familiar with since hubby has not taken an interest in it yet (Thank God! Since I heard the gears can be really pricey!). Now landscape photography is different. When hubby tells me he’s going to shoot landscapes… I always make sure he brings his telephoto or his wide-angle lens. Without it I’m not sure because he might be shooting “other” landscapes I’m sure I wouldn’t like much...hehe! With his telephoto (this is the long lens that looks like your office thermos) I am assured that he can’t take shots up close as in a portrait shoot since he must be really far from his subject to use it. :D

• Photography is a hobby that requires talent and a good eye in the artistic aspect of framing a subject, so the more I keep on limiting his subjects, the more he looks for even more interesting and exotic things to shoot! So I figured, why not let him choose whatever  he wishes to concentrate on, at least I know he's shooting something he is happy about and when your happy with your subject, the better output he comes up with. Plus the fact that he leaves the more exotic subjects alone :).

• Photography can be a really expensive hobby. Taking really artistic photos means being equipped with the best gears available. If your man is uber rich then I say why nag him about it since you obviously have extras to spare. But if not, then discuss how he can profit from his hobby. You never know, he might even rake in a lot of moolah with this hobby especially if he's gotten really good at it.

• What's up with all these models posing for my hubby's cam? At first I don't feel comfortable with hubby taking pictures of others besides me and myself (since we always believe that our hubbies should only have eyes for us diba?). But then I realized, what the heck, why not be your hubby's make-up artist! At least besides him saving money on MUAs, you get your eye on him all through the entire shoot! hehe..

Ms. Krystal Vee, during Mr. OSG's attendance at a Librodo workshop :)

• Don't fret, portraiture in photography is not just about taking someone's profile or so pictures in exotic poses. Its an art in itself. Often times, the photographer should be somehow in touch with their feminine side to take really artistic pictures that are worth keeping. They invest in time not only during the shoot but during post processing so their subject comes out looking really good in their portraits. In short its not personal so don't take it personally.

• Last off but definitely worth mentioning.. photography is a hobby that's also a good stress buster. So if your man lives a stressful life on the job, just understand that this hobby takes worries and future heart attacks off his mind. Its definitely a better distraction for him than most, believe me. 

Another of Mr. OSG's photograph for a campaign against hunger for the Rotary Club of Polomolok 101.

My advise for you -- the male photo hobbyist...

don't ask.. but that's moi :) hehe

 You know how women often find it difficult to digest why the interest in shooting models? Before you earn the support of your partner in pursuing your chosen hobby in Portraiture photography, I highly recommend taking good portraits of your partner first! Your lady might not admit that she wants you to take a photo of her but seriously, underneath all the pretense she really wants you to take her portraits! Believe me, it is flattering for a wife or a girlfriend for that matter if you insist on taking their portraits or practice your craft on them first. What more can I say, vanity is somehow inherent among our species. So produce portraits of your partner that are worthy of praise, then I'm sure the green monster won't bother you again every time you shoot models' portraits no matter how vavavooom they are :)

Postscript: of course these are my opinion and it happens to be my blog, so for violent reactions, please address them to my hubby. Since i major-major support him, he'll be more than willing to answer you in support of my blogging hobby. hehe.. have a nice day! 

Lumba Kalabaw at the Pinyahan Festival

Going Japanese at RaiRaiKen

I'm not much of a Japanese food lover, but in General Santos city, hubby and I love dining at RaiRaiKen. They have the best California Maki  in the city. For me it is a complete meal in itself. I no longer have to order other entrees since the  fusion of the cucumber, imitation crab stick and mango is mouth watering especially when dipped in the wasabi-kikkoman soy sauce.

Another meal we love to order is the Bento meal, a delightful concoction of chicken tori karaage, ebi tempura, beef yakiniku, fried gyoza, yasai salad, tamago and miso soup.

The complete Bento Meal

love the thin slices of beef

 

They also have the yummiest Ramens, or egg noodle soups. So if you are craving for Japanese cuisine that won't put a hole in your pocket, head off to RaiRaiKen. They have two branches in Gen. Santos City - one at the Ground floor level of KCC Mall and the other at Robinson's Place Gensan Mall. 

So I say let's eat! Itadakimasu!