Holy Week Staycation at Pan Pacific Manila

Holy Week is spent by most Filipinos with their families reflecting and praying together either at home or while visiting churches. Some would even travel to nearby provinces to observe their Lenten traditions. Choices of destination are mostly towns with a lot of old churches such as Batangas, Pampanga, Laguna, Rizal, Albay and Ilocos.

La Comida Mexicana, a Mexican Food Festival at Diamond Hotel

In celebration of Mexico's Día de la Independencia this 16th of September, Diamond Hotel Philippines, in cooperation with the Embajada de México en Filipinas, today launches La Comida Mexicana, a five-day Mexican Food Festival to be held at Corniche, the hotel's all-day dining restaurant famous for its local and international themed buffets.

The Manila Hotel

The Manila Hotel is a 530-room luxury heritage hotel located at Rizal Park, City of Manila. This historic hotel was opened on July 4, 1912 in celebration of the American Independence Day. The five-story structure was designed by William Parsons, a New York-based architect hired by William Howard Taft, then Governor-General of the Philippines who would later become the 27th President of the United States. The hotel has become home to some of the most prominent figures of Philippine history, including General Douglas MacArthur, has faced destruction during WWII, and undergone several renovations and upgrading, winning it the title The Grande Dame of Hotels in the Philippines.

A Taste of Middle East at Pan Pacific Manila

Pan Pacific Manila, the top luxury hotel in Manila, recently rolled-out it latest culinary offerings featuring Middle Eastern dishes prepared by Pan Pacific Manila's new sous chef, Chef Tarek Alsarraj. Chef Tarek, who is from Syria, brings with him his mastery of various Middle Eastern cuisines to conceptualize and create dishes for the hotel's Middle Eastern guests and clients.

Pan Pacific Manila: Best Luxury Hotel Experience in Manila

Pan Pacific Manila is a 236-room business hotel located in Malate, next to Manila's heritage and historical landmarks. With its central location, the hotel also finds itself near convention centers, business hubs, retail and dining establishments, as well as entertainment and leisure spots.

On-the-go Summer Drinks by CoCo Fresh Tea and Juice

Summer is definitely here! Beat the summer heat by trying CoCo Fresh Tea and Juice's on-the-go summer drinks. CoCo Fresh Tea and Juice specializes in freshly made tea-and fruit-based drinks which originated in Tamsui, Taiwan. It has been operating globally for 18 years now with presence in China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and the United States. The company takes pride in innovating freshly made drinks such as fruit teas, milk teas, cream, latte and chocolate, fresh teas, fresh fruits, cool slush and some seasonal beverages.

Holy Week Staycation Packages for 2015

While most of the city folks are travelling outside the city this Holy Week to visit their families in their home towns and provinces, many Filipinos choose to stay in the city for quality time with their family and kids. It is also a great time to take advantage of Holy Week and Easter staycation packages in many hotels. We have listed down 12 hotels in key cities of the Philippines where families can bond together and celebrate Easter on April 5 over sumptuous lunch and fun activities with their kids.

Rediscovering Manila with the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2

We have visited different parts of the Philippines but we have to admit that we haven't really explored much of our capital city, Manila. Years of traveling around the country rendered us practically unfamiliar with our own home city. So this year, we decided to see more of Manila and planned a rediscovery tour of Binondo with the help of our new 10-inch Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2.

Where to Celebrate Chinese New Year 2015 in the Philippines

Chinese New Year celebration in the Philippines revolves around the family. This is one of the many occasions when members of a Filipino-Chinese family gather together to welcome a new year of good health and prosperity. And of course, no Chinese New Year celebration is complete without a banquet of traditional Chinese dishes especially prepared for the festivities.

The Bayleaf Intramuros

The Bayleaf Intramuros is a 57-room first class hotel located within the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila, Philippines. For two consecutive years (2013-2014) The Bayleaf Intramuros was also awarded by TripAdvisor with the coveted Travelers’ Choice Award and the prestigious Certificate of Excellence, placing the hotel in the top-performing 10% of all listed businesses worldwide.

Go Hotels Otis-Manila

Go Hotels Otis-Manila is a 118-room budget hotel located along Guazon Avenue, right beside Robinson Otis Mall in Paco, Manila. It is part of the Go Hotels chain of hotels, the first and largest Filipino-owned value hotel chain in the Philippines. The Go Hotels brand is owned by the Robinsons Land Corp.

Restaurants near Avida Towers Prime Taft

Avida Land recently held a food tour for a couple of food bloggers and food enthusiasts, the Avida Food Hunt. Luckily Tim, my boyfriend, and I were invited to represent Pinas Muna. Chef JJ Yulo, the founder of Pinoy Eats World, along with DLSU Green Archers starting point guard, Thomas Torres, hosted the event where they toured us to different food joints around the vicinity of Avida Towers Prime Taft. Being a varsity player and a student at DLSU, Thomas gave quite a few in-sights of the places he and his colleagues usually hang out to eat.

2014 Euro-Pinoy Jazz Concerts

This February, five international jazz artists from the Philippines and Europe will serenade Manila at the 2014 Euro-Pinoy Jazz Concerts, a two-night concert event happening on February 21 & 22 in Bonifacio Global City-Taguig and Intramuros-Manila, respectively. Both concerts start at 8pm. Admission is free on a first come, first served basis.

Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel

The Manila Pavilion Hotel is a 486-room first class hotel located right at the middle of Manila's tourism, commercial and entertainment centers. Owned and managed by the Waterfront Philippines Inc, the hotel features rooms with bright colors and functional furnishings, creating a modern and elegant feel into its interiors.

Aliwan Fiesta 2013 Street Dance & Float Parade

Aliwan Fiesta brings together the best regional festivals of the Philippines to one venue to showcase the cultural diversity of the country. This year, we are able to attend Aliwan Fiesta for the very first time. The event showed us a glimpse of the rich heritage and tradition of our country as interpreted through colorful costumes and dance.

Feng Shui for 2013 Year of the Water Snake

MANILA - The Chinese New Year is fast approaching and the street of Ongpin in Binondo, Manila is again packed with Filipinos and Filipino-Chinese in search of lucky charms and home decors. The Chinese tradition of feng shui has become an integral part of most Filipinos' lives, especially in the area of architecture and business. Whenever we talk about feng shui, the first thing that would come to our mind is luck in terms of prosperity and money. This usually comes in form of lucky charms or enhancers used to attract wealth and even good health. This is true, but luck is only one of the aspects of feng shui.

In a lifestyle that involves a lot of risks, such as travel, another very important aspect of feng shui that should be given attention is protection. Protection is directed against negative energies, bad health or sickness, and ill intentions from other people. According to Mr. Johnson Chua, a feng shui expert based in Binondo, Manila, protection is even more important than enhancers. In fact, certain enhancers may be less effective or even useless without the correct protection.

with Mr. Johnson Chua, Feng Shui expert based  in Binondo, Manila

We visited Mr. Chua's store in Binondo, Manila to seek advice for 2013, the year of the water snake. We asked him directly if it would be safe for us to travel this year. Ed and I were born in the year of the horse and sheep, respectively. The good news is, according to Mr. Chua, it is generally safe for both of us to travel this year. Yey! But here's the bad news, we should both take extra care of our health. According to Mr. Chua, individuals born in the year of the sheep should focus on their physical well-being while those born in the year of the horse should avoid stress to maintain mental well-being.

Nonetheless, we requested a protection that we can wear or carry around since we travel a lot. Mr. Chua recommended the dragon's eye. He opened a box full of amulets and we were asked to pick the amulet that appeals to us, the one the appears staring at us (see image on top).

I selected a brownish-green amulet to which Mr. Chua attached a lapis lazuli bead. According to him, blue is my lucky color and it serves as an enhancer to attract good health. Ed chose a black amulet. Mr. Chua then attached a hematite bead to it, also to enhance good health. He then blessed the amulets in a Tibetan singing bowl and asked us to pick our amulets from the bowl. We were instructed not to let anyone touch our amulets.

2013 Feng Shui for Travelers

According to Mr. Chua, travel safety may differ from person to person, but in general, it is safe to travel in the year of the water snake, except for the four conflicting animal signs:

Rat, Ox, Rabbit, Dragon, Horse, Goat, Rooster, Dog those born under these animal signs will encounter little problem while traveling; it is generally safe to travel but personal safety precautions is always advised

Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Pig these four animal signs are in conflict (chong tai sue) with the water snake; those under these animal signs should be extra careful during travel; avoid confrontations or arguments

Like what most feng shui experts say, we should not depend solely on feng shui, it is only meant to guide and help us. Combined with the right protection and luck, prosperity may be achieved through hard work, good health through proper diet and exercise, and safety through personal precautions.

With this, we wish you all a prosperous, healthy and safe 2013, the year of the water snake.

For personal feng shui consultations, you may visit Mr. Chua's store in Binondo, Manila. See below:

Mr. Johnson Chua / Sunrise General Merchandise
803 Salazar St.corner Ongpin St. (same street as President Tea House, accross President Grand Palace)
Binondo, Manila
Telephone: 241-3963
Mobile: 0917-8533369
Email: jxnline@yahoo.com
Website: www.thedragonphoenix.com
Store Hours: Monday-Sunday 9:00am-6:30pm