MacArthur and Manila Hotel

General MacArthur is a popular figure in Philippines and I remember learning of his famous phrase "I came through and I shall return" (which he said during World War 2 pledging his return to defeat the Japanese forces) during History class last time! He was the Field Marshall & Military Advisor for the Philippines Army before World War 2 and became Commander of US forces in the Far East before World War 2. However, General MacArthur was forced to leave Philippines in 1942 during the Japanese attack & subsequent invasion. He left Philippines but pledged to return and defeat the Japanese forces. At the ending stages of World War 2, he led the Allied Forces to defeat the Japanese Army during Battle for Manila in 1945.

Manila Hotel is a great place for travellers to stay in especially with its rich historic value. It was noted that General MacArthur ever lived in Manila Hotel's penthouse from from 1935 - 1941!The original building was 5 stories tall, a modern tower has since been added. The "MacArthur Suite" was his penthouse, with spectacular views of the harbor and a replica of his office, only the table and chair are original. The hotel was the scene of room-to-room fighting during the battle for Manila in February 1945 and burned by the Japanese during the fighting by accident. A new multi-level portion of the hotel was built post war.The catastrophic battle resulted to serious damages. Approximately 100, 000 civilians died and 50,000 were hurt andwounded. On the American side, 1,010 soldiers from different units died while 5,565 were wounded giving a total of 6,575 casualties. As for the Japanese casualties, it was recorded that about 16,000 soldiers died during the battle.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ifugao Rice Terraces

In 1995, Ifugao Rice Terraces or Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banaue (in tagalog) was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list because of its great beauty that expresses conquered and conserved harmony between humankind and the the environment. These rice terraces located in the Philippines were carved out 2000 years ago by the ancestors of the Batad indigenous people. It seems an easy feat today to carve out such terraces, but 2000 years ago when there was no machinery, these terraces were carved out step by step using hands. It is said that if the steps are put end to end, it would encircle half the globe! As a tourist, I understand from the locals that this is their pride and joy! In fact, they regard it as the "eighth wonder of the world". How privilege to be able to see for myself the fusion of man's workmanship on nature....

Philippine's "Garden of Eden" : Camiguin Island

In the bible, the garden of Eden is equivalent to paradise on earth. Camiguin Island, rhyming with "come again", has been regarded by many as Philippines' Garden of Eden, because it could be regarded as that perfect island in the country.

Although I have yet to visit this place, reading about it has made me plan it to be one of my must-go destinations. Camiguin is a pear-shaped volcanic island in the northern tip of Mindanao. Besides the majestic waterfalls that create both hot and cold springs, there is the beautiful beach and the volcanoes surrounding the island that makes any visitor mesmerized by the natural landscape and yearn to go back again.

People Power Revolution

One significant event that happened in Philippines was the People Power Revolution which occured during the period when Ferdinand Marcos was in power. This period was also known as EDSA Revolution/Philippine Revolution of 1986/Yellow Revolution. Ferdinand Marcos set up a regime in the Philippines that would give him ultimate power over the military and the national treasury. Following the declaration of martial law on 21 Sept 1972, Marcos began money embezzlement and gave out orders to kill any political competition that was against him. Not long after, Philippines economy crumbled and lost its competitive edge in Southeast Asia. Several groups of people within the government conspired to overthrow Marcos. They were led by opposition senator Ninoy Aquino, who was later sent to exile and warned not to return to Philippines. Ignoring warnings from pro-Marcos groups not to return, Ninoy Aquino returned three years later but was assassinated on his way back. This led to many Filipinos to lose faith in the Marcos regime and caused the economic problems in Philippines to worsen.

In the 1986 elections, Ninoy Aquino's wife Corazon Aquino ran for residency with Marcos. However, there were two different sets of election results, one showing Marcos winning 53% of the votes and another with Corazon Aquino winning 52%. Both parties took their oath of office in two different places with Aquino gaining greater supporter from the masses. Events of the People Power Revolution started when two key leaders of the military - Fidel Ramos and Juan Poonce Enrile - withdrew their support for Marcos and supported Aquino instead. At that time, Radio Veritas was used as an important form of communication between the military and the masses as it was the only non government controlled radio station. Everywhere, people were listening to Radio Veritas and several sang Bayan Ko (My Homeland), which has since become the anthem of protest movements in the Philippines.

Uniquely Pinoy: Lingo

When I first came to Philippines, I found it easier to communicate with the Filipinos than I expected, even though I can't speak in the local dialect. This is because our body language and tonality speaks a thousand words in the Philippines! I realized that all I need were elastic facial muscles, nimble limbs, a powerful, melodious voice and I was all set and ready to tour this wonderful country! Here are some interesting discoveries I made:

Instead of using their arms or fingers, a lot of Filipinos point out a direction by pouting their mouths, or shifting their eyes towards the direction indicated.


Filipinos smile all the time! They smile when they praise or criticize, when they are embarrassed, or need help. Even when they apologize, they smile! After all, smiling doesn't cost much nor does it hurt anyone. So, SMILE!!! :)

Due to their conflict avoiding nature, instead of giving a definite "Yes" or "No", Filipinos will either lift their eyebrows or tend to use phrases like “siguro nga” (maybe), “sinabi mo e” (if you say so), “sisikapin ko” (I will try), “ewan” (I don’t know), “tingnan natin” (we’ll see) or “bahala na” (see how it goes).

All these actually just means ‘NO’!

It is considered rude to beckon someone using your index finger or by snapping your fingers.

Other vocal mannerisms would include offering an apology before asking a question, cucking to show annoyance, frustration or anger, using "Pssst-sst" to get attention (it is, however, rude to "psst" someone in a social function) and exclaiming "Ooo", which means "Yes".

Uniquely Pinoy: Superstitions and Taboos

To do or not to do, that is the question. Interacting with the locals for a period of time led to find out that the Filipino moral code is governed by a few complex ideas, including hiya (fear of losing face), pakikisama (social sharing) and bahala na (fatalism). There are many taboos and customs that the Filipinos observe. Hence, it is important that we carefully toe the line and respect their beliefs when in the Philippines! After all, in Rome, shouldn't we do as the Romans do? Here are more interesting superstitions which the Filipinos believe in:

WHAT BRINGS BAD LUCK?

Receiving old clothes, whistling at night, breaking objects and lending bring bad luck.

WHAT WOULD 'MAKE YOU POOR'?

Throwing rice on the floor, eating in front of a stove and sweeping at night will make you poor.

WHICH DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE MOST SPECIAL?

Mondays are special--

Do not spend money on a Monday because you will only spend more money the entire week.
At the same time, businessmen must make sure that their first customer on Mondays buys from them, otherwise business will not be good the entire week.

WHAT BRINGS GOOD LUCK?

Being born with six fingers, a big birthmark and seeing a snake cross the road brings good luck.

Facts on Filipinos' Eating Habits and Cuisine

To start off my entries on Filipino food, here are some basic facts I gathered!



1) Do you know that Filipinos regard enjoying food to be a "National Obsession"?
Yes! Its true! To the Filipinos, food is important as it is an integral part of local art and culture as well as communal existence. Believe it or not but Filipinos eat up to ELEVEN times a day! That means a total of five meals a day and snacks in between.

2) Do you know that the Philippine cuisine is a unique mixture from the East and the West?
There is probably nowhere else in the world where you can sample delectable and tempting delicacies if not in the exotic country of Philippines. Yes, due to nearly 400 years of external influences, the Filipino cuisine has evolved to become a fascinating blend of Malay,Spanish and Chinese cultures.

3) Do you know that Philippine cuisine is often labeled as bland and mild?
Unlike its surrounding Asian counterparts like Malaysia and Indonesia that uses hot chilies liberally in their dishes, the Philippine cuisine is more suitable for those with sedate and sensitive taste buds.

4) Do you know what is their must-have for meals?
As with other Asian countries, rice is their staple food and will be served with most meals. For over 2,000 years, rice has been grown in the Philippines and is eaten almost daily. As of the 21st century, over twenty varieties of rice are cultivated, which are made into thousands of different cakes, noodles, and pancakes. Rice noodles are now increasingly common in fast-food restaurants and stands, because noodles symbolize prosperity, long life, and good luck. Filipinos believe the longer the noodles, the better, so noodles are generally not broken or cut when a dish is being prepared.

5) Do you know Filipinos love to use coconuts in creating their exotic Filipino dishes?
It is indeed no secret that coconuts are used liberally to create Filipino dishes. Cooking meat and vegetables using coconut milk create dishes called guinatan. These dishes originated from the Malay side of the Filipino cuisine. Apart from that, coconuts are also great for creating mouth-watering desserts like bibingka and macapuno

Philippines' National Dish - Adobo

I learnt something new today: Adobo is said to be the first dish you should ever learn to cook if you’re a Filipino. However, while most Filipinos know how to make adobo, it is so flavorful and delicious that people from all over the Philippines have their very own version of the popular viand.

Adobo is actually a Spanish word which means "marinade". It is used to describe the actual marinade or seasoning mix we use to inject flavor into our preferred cooking meat. Hence we call our adobo with the meat of choice: chicken = adobong manok, pork = adobong baboy.

Adobo can be done on any kind of meat. Most Filipinos use either pork or chicken; and some even use a combination of both. But you can also make adobo using beef, lamb, turkey, and even fish (tuna or salmon are the easiest).



Why is it the National dish?
We love adobo because it has a long shelf life! You can cook adobo today in the morning and you still eat it for dinner three days after! The long shelf life is due to one of its primary ingredients, vinegar, which inhibits the growth of bacteria. Adobo is usually served with white rice.

How to prepare Adobo?
All you have to do is prepare the marinade (soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns) and slowly cook the meat over low heat. There is no need to let the flavor settle before cooking. When that’s done, then it’s done! You’ll know when it’s cooked when the meat turns brown from absorbing the marinade – or you can just stick a fork in to see if the meat is cooked.

Pinakbet

This is a Filipino dish all vegetable lovers cannot miss! Even I who is usually very selective on the types of vegetables I eat found this dish extremely tasty.

Pinakbet is a popular Ilocano dish,from the northern regions of the Philippines. It gradually spread to the rest of the archipelago and became an authentic Filipino dish. The word is the contracted form of the Ilocano word "pinakebbet" meaning shrunk or shrivelled. Needless to say, the vegetables are usually cooked until almost dry and shrivelled because Filipinos believe that the flavours are emphasized and accentuated by the bagoong (fermented shrimp fry). The basic vegetables for this dish include bitter melon, eggplant, tomato, ginger, okra, string beans, lima beans, chili peppers and calabaza. These vegetables are easily accessible because they are grown in the backyards and gardens of most Ilocano households, hence it became a common dish at dinner tables, not to mention a very healthy one for the entire family as well!

Another point to take note, if you enter a pizza parlour, do not be surprised to see Pinakbet pizza served on the menu. This pizza flavour is definitely something uniquely Pinoy and a must-try!

Bistek Tagalog (Filipino Beefsteak)

I'm salivating looking at this picture of Bistek Tagalog. Bistek is probably one of my favourite Filipino dishes! Yet another popular national cuisine of the Philippines, Bistek is what one would call beef steak, Filipino-style- reinvented with an Asian touch of soy sauce. It is typically made with onions and strips of sirloin beef ... definitely a nice, hearty dish for beef lovers! It goes fantastically well with boiled or steamed white rice.

It is easy to prepare Bistek Tagalog -- a simple marinade of soy sauce, kalamansi juice and garlic, with almost any cut of steak. Kalamansi is a musk lime that’s native to the Philippines, but using lemons would do too. Onion rings are optional and added near the end as a garnish. A good bistek is one which does not taste too sour or salty.

Sinigang

When I first came to Philippines, I thought Filipinos do not drink soup. But I was slightly wrong! While they do not drink the soup, they have Sinigang, another famous Philippine soup dish that is combined as a viand with rice. It is well known for the variety of ingredients one can use as well as for its taste. The lightly boiled soup is slightly sour and cooked using souring agents like unripe guavas, tamarind leaves and flowers, kamias and tomatoes. There are different varieties of sinigang such as sinigang na isda (sour vegetable soup with fish) and sinigang na baboy (sour vegetable soup with pork) and below are different varieties of cooking this dish...

The Ideal Beach Destination: Boracay Island

Over the weekend, I had the privilege to visit Boracay Islands. If you are looking for that perfect beach getaway destination, this is the place! Widely known as one of the finest swimming destinations in the world, Boracay is blessed with unsullied fine talcum power-sand beaches, the magnificent blue sky and the crystal clear waters.

Top tip: Be sure to make your way to the best part of the island, a 4km White Beach hailed as the "finest beach in the world". The surrounding water is shallow and the sand is finer and brighter than most beaches in the archipelago.

Its also not difficult to make your way there. To get to Boracay, just book a flight into Kalibo, the capital of Aklan province.

Business Hub : Cebu City

If you thought Makati City was the sole business nerve of the Philippines, then you are gravely wrong. With 7,107 islands, this vast country cannot afford to only have one business centre. Hence, beyond Manila, if I shift to the south, there is Cebu City, dubbed the Queen City of the South. Why you may ask? The reason is simple, because outside the capital, this is the next most important centre of commerce, trade and industry in the Visayas and Mindanao region.

Cebu City has also aggressively promoted themselves as the following:

1) The country's main domestic shipping hub, with more than 80% of the country's inter0-island shipping companies located here.

2) An investment destination

3) The education center of Center Visayas. It has been highly recommended that if one is looking for a talented and educated supply of manpower, this will be the place you are looking at!

Business Hub : Makati City

Like in every city in the world, Philippine's main business centre is located near the capital Manila and in the region Metro Manila. Makati City is considered the major financial, commerical and economic hub in the Philippines. It is often referred to as Wall Street of Philippines or the Central Business District. With 84% of the country's private commerical banks and 9/10 of the largest life insurance companies maintaining their headquarters at Makati, there is no questioning of its importance as the business nerve of the Philippines. Also, other global companies have their offices here as well.

Besides Makati City, I also found out that Cebu City (Visayas region) and Davao City (Mindanao) are two other business hubs beyond the capital. Enough about business, the city dwellers in Makati not only work hard, but they also party hard. Yes! Makati City is also known to be the centre of social and entertainment activities with a vibrant night life, pub scene, food and shopping malls. If I may add, the night scene in this business city is absolutely gorgeous!