PSI Basic Unforgettable Moments in 2010 - Photo Album

Keeping your eyes on the ball

Together With My Essence

I attended an Interactive Coffee Seminar

In the process I met my PSI 238 Batchmates

and graduated as PSI Basic Batch 238

It was a momentous PSI Batch 238 Graduation

So I invited my loved ones for PSI Basic 239

where I got to learn more from the Loving PSI Board Members

The most important graduate for me was in PSI Batch 240

Most Memorable Sharing was During Batch 240 Graduation

In my PSI journey I have found new Friendships

Cheered for PSI Graduates

and became Proud of Graduates of PSI Basic Leadership Success Seminar

I also learned that my relationships are important because of my PSI Family and Friends

and most of all my Buddies for Life

I never knew that I can still find Life-long friendships

and that the I will continue to have a Growing Family of people who loves me

Now I am braver to Create Opportunities

and to Achieve my Goals

The Road Ahead may be long and arduous

But I'm excited to start it with
The New Me

PSI Basic Leadership Success Seminar
Batch 241: January 27-30, 2011
Venue: Soliman Corporate Center, 2182 Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
Early bird: 10% discount until Jan. 21

For details pls. contact Camille at 0917-7231976; 0918-5785981 or 975-9760 and 621-6132

Family Getaway in Tagaytay on New Year’s Day of 2011 (Part 1)

Family Getaway in Tagaytay on New Year’s Day of 2011 (Part 1)


Planning a family getaway in Tagaytay is relatively easy. The important things that need to be arranged are: house (we stayed at a family’s place in Royal Tagaytay); transportation (using an L300 which accommodated 6 people, 1 baby and 1 cat including the driver and baggage); and most importantly SNACKS!!!. When traveling to the south you can opt to eat at fast food chains beside gas stations or you can just pack breakfast with you to be eaten in the car. Luckily, it was New Year’s Eve the night before so there were lots of leftover food for us to re-heat. We had mac and cheese (thanks to our very generous Tita Zen) and cold spaghetti (there was no time to heat it anymore).

People's Park In The Sky

The first stop in this trip is People’s Park in the Sky (also known as Palace in the Sky). I originally thought that my siblings have not been here yet that’s why we went at People’s Park in the Sky. On our way to People’s Park in the Sky, I found out that all of us have visited the place before when we were much younger. On the other hand, what made this trip better was that People’s Park in the Sky was covered in fog at high noon.

Foggy Midday at People's Park in the Sky (photo c/o Mrs. Boo)

People's Park at the Sky (photo c/o momochan)

It was definitely a cold and windy day to visit People’s Park in the Sky which made the place different. There were a few changes when I visited this time compared to what the place looked like two years ago. First there were several huts where you can eat a meal together with your companions while overlooking Tagaytay plains and mountains. There’s also a store selling animal hats and ice cream. What I enjoyed the most is eating our very own “taho” or hot soy drink mixed with melted sugar and gulaman. For a family getaway on a budget, this stop is perfect because the entrance fee costs a minimal amount of P25 each per person. Children 5 years old and below are free to enter the People’s Park.

View from the viewing deck of People's Park in the Sky

When I visited the People’s Park in the Sky before, I did not see the wishing well nor the Pineapple. These are located on the left side of the area if you are facing the two-storey palace. Manage your expectations if it’s your time to visit People’s Park in the Sky. It’s not really a palace. It’s more of an unfinished building that was originally made for the Marcoses but was left undeveloped when they were unseated from power. Now, it has become a tourist attraction in the area because of its location where one can see Tagaytay’s lush greenery and beautiful houses on a hill.

View from the road going to People's Park in the Sky

Our next stop brings us to one of the things Tagaytay is known for, which is its famous BULALOHAN. For our first meal in our family getaway, the restaurant “Diner’s” was recommended to us. Everybody was definitely hungry by the time we arrived at Diner’s and that was a little over lunch time. We chose to eat outside in one of the huts provided at Diner’s. Although the breeze was still definitely cooler than in Metro Manila, it wasn’t that cold. The place would definitely need some aesthetic improvements to make it more pleasing to the eye but that was all forgiven after we were brought our first Bulalo meal. We ordered bulalo (of course!), adobong pusit and liempo. For this group of 6 people, we were able to consume two platters of rice and drinks for everyone. If you need more bulalo soup, you can request the waiter to give you some (of course provided you ask nicely). For the entire meal, it costs us about P1400 including tip or about P233.33 per person.

Diner's Bulalohan and Seafood Restaurant (Near Save More Tagaytay)

Before going to our family getaway residence, we stopped over Save More to get a couple of groceries mostly for our breakfast the next day. We know that we cannot cook at our residence at Royal Tagaytay so we bought stuff that we can easily prepare such as sandwiches and cereals. We wanted to buy softdrinks but we were told by Save More Tagaytay staff that softdrinks were out of stock for the last two days already but there were still softdrinks in can if we really wanted. This is quite befuddling to me since the Coca-Cola plant is near Tagaytay. I am assuming its closer to arrange a delivery compared to the establishments far from Tagaytay.

To save money, what I did was buy one 5-gallon water and one 1 liter of water. I brought with me Iced Tea powder good for 1 liter of drink. In this way, we have juice and water at the same time. I bought the additional 1 liter for the container actually. Of course you can do this also using other powdered drink that you like. The containers were handy especially when I made fresh orange juice the next morning. Our breakfast groceries cost P750 or about P125 per person.

And our last stop before we go to Royal Tagaytay is none other than one of my favorite Tagaytay restaurants, Bag of Beans. We went to Bag of Beans early to make a reservation for our dinner. Bag of Beans management will definitely appreciate it if you make an early reservation so they can reserve the place you want to stay. This time we chose one of the gazebos. We were a little cramped for a group of 6 people but it was not too tight that we couldn’t move anymore. The place provided a very cozy and warm atmosphere amidst the very cold air outside. If I may say so, the night’s setting was perfect. What I could do better next time is to even advise the management what we plan to eat. I will tell you the reason in a little while.

Bag of Beans, Tagaytay

Finally, we arrived at Royal Tagaytay. We unloaded our stuff and placed our things in our rooms and spent the rest of the afternoon – SLEEPING!!! Sleeping is for me still the best way to spend your vacation which is the purpose of getting that much needed R&R time before facing another busy year. We slept a lot that we woke up just in time for dinner. If I may estimate it, we slept that afternoon for FOUR hours!!! That’s what you call siesta. We dressed up and went to Bag of Beans for our sumptuous dinner.

At Bag of Beans, we found that our place has been reserved. We settled at our gazebo and started to order. We had two orders of roast beef, chicken parmigianna, one kid’s burger, one cheeseburger with fries, a pitcher of iced tea, and two slabs (not slice!) of cheesecake (one strawberry, one blueberry). We wanted to end the night with a cup of brewed Coffee Alamid but it was out of stock. We also wanted to order other stuff but the service crew had to return three times to our table just to tell us that the things we ordered are out of stock. We also had to settle to rice instead of mashed potato with our main meals because well guess what it was out of stock.

Blueberry cheesecake at Bag of Beans

But what the heck, it was New Year’s Day. Everyone is in a jolly mood. It is our choice if we want to become upset or enjoy our meal. We chose the latter. We were supposed to end the night with a hot cup of cocoa but the order took an hour. After more than 60 minutes, I had to cancel the order because our baby is very sleepy. The manager apologized for the delays but apparently two other sets of customers were leaving Bag of Beans also due to the long wait. I felt bad for the staff because they are generally nice and warm people. But as my husband said, this is a happy problem – being the victim of your own success. For 6 people, our bill was P2000 including a 10% service charge or about P333.33 per person. A recommendation to the staff would be to put a waiting station or at least advice incoming guests that there is a long queue even before they enter Bag of Beans and that several food items are not available. Or maybe Bag of Beans can stock up for holidays like this to give way for the influx of guests. Except for the long delay, the food was still great, the ambience was amazing and the experience was great!

Reservation at Bag of Beans

Coming home, full but not yet sleepy, we decided to watch The Cove, a documentary about the slaughter of 23,000 dolphins in Japan every year. The word “slaughter” is an understatement for this documentary. It is one of the most inhumane deaths I have seen in my life and I cannot believe that there are people like that in Japan who cannot feel anymore or realize the horrendous things they are doing to these dolphins. The pool of blood will be forever etched in my mind.

Slaughter of Dolphins in Taijing, Japan (horrific pool of dolphin blood in The Cove)

After watching past midnight, we decided to call it a night as we slept with the cooing sound of the wind outside our house in Royal Tagaytay.

Have you heard of the Balatoc Mines Tour and Baguio Stock Farm?

Have you heard of the Balatoc Mines Guided Tour and Baguio Stock Farm?

When we went to Baguio this December 2010, we were joined by my husband's extended family. It was great eating meals with different families. I was especially proud of our child because he liked his Tita’s cooking so much which made him eat more than the usual.

I first heard about the Balatoc Mines Tour from the relatives and I thought it would be a great experience for the family. So on our last full day at Baguio, my nuclear family, together with the family driver, went to Balotoc mines. Since it was our first time to visit Balatoc Mines, we basically got lost but it did not take us a long time to find the correct route.

Winding Road Going to Balatoc Mines (with great view of the mountainside)

The Balatoc Mines is found in Itogon Benguet which is about an hour travel from Green Valley, Baguio City. What caught us by surprise is the path going to Balatoc Mines. A word of caution, the driver has to be fully awake and very careful while traversing the road to Balatoc Mines. It is a combination of winding roads and bumpy rides at times. It would help a lot if you bring a car that can travel dirt roads if you are concerned with your car. Other than that the view itself going to Balatoc Mines is majestic. Wide and thick greenery covering the mountainside along the snaking road going to Balatoc Mines will entertain you (exluding the driver because he needs to focus).

Landmark going to Balatoc Mines, Itogon, Benguet

Finally we arrived at Balatoc Mines and proceeded to the area where the tours are arranged. We paid P250 for each adult guest and P150 for children. While waiting for our turn to enter the mines, there is a small museum where you can see stuff found inside Balatoc Mines.

Entrance Gate Going to the Balatoc Mines, Itogon, Benguet

Our tour guide gave us a short talk and told us a brief history and things to expect inside the Balatoc Mines. They also asked us about our expectation which was good because it showed that the tour guides were interested on our initial perception of the tour.

Orientation Room, Balatoc Mines, Itogon Benguet

Finally the tour guides warned us about the Anaconda. I would like to share the story of the Anaconda but I would be spoiling the fun if I did. So I leave it up to the person reading this blog and considering Balatoc Mines as a destination to discover the story behind the Anaconda.

Our Very Informative Tour Guide for the Balatoc Mines Guided Tour

At the start of the tour it was fairly hot because we have to travel on foot going to the tunnel. A piece of unsolicited advice, leave unnecessary items in the car. It would be better if you’re not carrying anything except for a camera and a flashlight.

Mined Rocks Ready for Milling at Balatoc Mines, Itogon Benguet

You don’t even have to bring food or drinks. I did that and I was so entertained by the tour and the different photo-ops that there was no time to take a sip. Bring a small bottle if you really want to if you’re the type of person who gets burnt out from short walks or if you get thirsty right away. Technically, there are no restrooms inside the Balatoc mines so better take a leak before starting the tour. Bring a hat if you have one and wear comfortable footwear because you’d be walking along a railway which can sometimes become slippery especially inside the tunnel.

Balatoc Mines Guided Tour

On the other hand, it’s dark inside the tunnel so wear your glasses or contact lenses if you want to see where you’re going to. The tour guide will have be carrying a flashlight and another person at the behind the group will be provided one as well but if you want to bring yours you are free to do so.

Path going to the Tunnel of Balatoc Mines, Itogon Benguet

The first part of the tour as I mentioned will be outside the tunnel and along the railway. We arrived at Balatoc Mines at lunch time so the sun is at its peak. It was a little humid but the heat was bearable. We saw different machinery used inside the mines. We saw a river where people can pan gold. We also saw the toilet car that’s why I said technically there is a restroom but I dare you if you have the guts to use it.

River where most of the housewives pan gold while their husbands are mining

It was the trip inside the tunnel that I enjoyed the most - First because of the eerie feeling that you’re inside a damp dark tunnel where the temperature goes down as one walks deeper inside the hole. One can hear water droplets falling from the stalactites and the path ahead is a little muddy.

Stalactites inside Balatoc Mines, Itogon Benguet

The tour guide described the parts of the tunnel and demonstrated how a dynamite works. This was new information for me and I really appreciated it a lot. The anaconda was introduced to us in the most surprising way causing us to run to the nearest man-hole. We had a taste of holding a drill and seeing the dog hole where miners had to crawl day in and day out as they go deep into the mines. The climax of the tour is when a dynamite exploded which surely got everyone’s attention. You can actually feel the intensity of the blast. It was a great learning experience indeed.

Igniting the dynamite inside Balatoc Mines, Itogon Benguet

Finally, our cart arrived and we traveled the same route as we entred but this time inside a cart. Everybody was tired from the heat and walk and so the cart was a perfect way to go back.

Cart ride ending Balatoc Mines Guided Tour

I definitely recommend this tour to families because it’s a great bonding experience. There were lots of things to learn about the plight of the miners here in the Philippines and as to why gold is a precious metal. I now have renewed respect for all the miners in the world and what they have to endure to be able to get the gold to make the ring wrapped around my finger right now.

Miner at Balatoc Mines, Itogon Benguet

We had a hearty lunch at home and prepared to go to Baguio Farm. The day before, we visited Baguio Farm to ask permission if we can take pictures while milking the cow. It is best to make an appointment first with the management before going to Baguio Stock Farm especially if you are a big group. The management accommodated our request with the condition that we visit during their milking hours which is 4:00 in the morning or 4:00 in the afternoon. Of course, we chose the afternoon slot.

Cows for the afternoon Milking Session are Readied

Milking the batch of cows takes about an hour so you can visit within that window of time. The kuyas are easy to deal with and they even did not take the tip we were offering because they said they provide this service in connection with their goal to educate the public. Seeing the cows being milked makes you appreciate the milk you are enjoying everytime you drink it (which I am feeling right now while drinking my milk).

Milking Cows at Baguio Stock Farm

The pasteurized Pure Cow’s milk we bought was processed by Mountain High Livestock Multi-Purpose Cooperative found at Km. 5 Baguio Stock Farm Sto Tomas Road, Dontogan Baguio City. Their contact number is (074) 4261184. A 330 ml bottle of this delicious and extremely creamy pure cow’s milk will cost you P120. They also have in smaller packs for P50. The Baguio Stock Farm also offers yoghurt in three flavors: mango, strawberry and blueberry. Our favorite is the mango flavored yoghurt. Yoghurt in Baguio Stock Farm cost P40 a bottle. There are also other products such as kesong puti, candied youghurt and pastillas but they were out of stock when we inquired.

Baguio Stock Farm Address and List of Milk Products

While waiting for our chance to meet and greet the milking cows we were entertained by a black carabao calf tied in front of the entrance of the milking station. The calf was orphaned already but was very friendly. He likes to rub himself against people and if I didn’t know better I think it was acting like a puppy. I’ve never met such a friendly carabao. I wonder if this carabao will stay friendly even until it grows up.

Friendly Carabao Calf at Baguio Stock Farm

We bought our milk and yoghurts and wandered a little bit in the farm where we met another very friendly animal. The horse we saw was happily grazing just half a meter away from us. Then it walked towards us and somehow invited us to pat him. (I am assuming it was a “him”). It was a wonderful experience for our child and for us as well because we got to interact with these friendly domesticated creatures.

Friendly Horse at Baguio Stock Farm

Overall, I can say that the animals inside Baguio Stock Farm are very well fed and very happy. I mean if you’re an herbivore and you are surrounded with plains of grass all over you wouldn’t you be very happy? It’s like a buffet meal everyday!

Grazing Area at Baguio Stock Farm

On our last night in Baguio, we decided to eat out. But the best thing I experienced that night is the night ukay-ukay on the street where premium items (if I can say) are sold at an incredibly low price of P50 per piece only!!! Boots were sold at P150 and there were shoes sold at P280 the most. The only downside is that first it was hard to try on stuff especially the boots. There are no mirrors AT ALL! And it was dark. There are no bright streetlamps for you to check for stains or damages. I bought beaded pants made from Vietnam for P50. The beading was impecabbly made but I only found out when I got home that there was a tear on the crotch. Good thing it can be mended but without the tear it would have been perfect. I also bought a very cute cardigan but it was two sizes smaller than my size. I found out also when I got home that it was for kids. At least I have something to give to my little sister when she comes home. Ir would have been nice if a girlfriend was with me shopping so we can be the talking mirror for each other. Oh well, this idea is something that can be planned for the next Baguio trip. For the rest of the items I bought like a snug gray big-buttoned jacket and a crocheted cardigan, a blouse with a beaded sarimanok or phoenix (whatever you want to call it) they were all in excellent condition. All in all I got 5 items and paid P220. It was supposed to be P250 but I haggled because I bought several items.

For this adventure I have no pictures as I did not expect to uncover another activity in Baguio. (lesson learned)

This Baguio week has been all about eating and sleeping. It’s a good thing I’m preparing for the Bull Run because I wouldn’t have been motivated to run every morning. I know feel there’s some weight to be shed after that two weeks of binging but there’s nothing like Metro Manila stress to burn that out. I’m not looking forward to it though.

Sunset at Green Valley Baguio City


(If you want to use my pictures in anyway you want it, that would be fine as long as you cite this blog as the original source preferably in APA format. If you can't do that then please do not use my pictures.)

Exploring Baguio One Morning on December 2010

Exploring Baguio One Morning on December 2010

My day to explore Baguio started early because of a bird chirping beside the window on top of my bed. I realized dawn was breaking and I remembered I wanted to take a picture of the sunrise after two years of not going back to Baguio. My excuse “I’ve been busy”. Not much has changed except for the condotel being built in front of the house blocking our once majestic view of Baguio mountains. It was the side of Baguio covered with greenery and sometimes it would hide the end of a rainbow. Oh well, the only thing constant in this world is change. Nothing is really permanent. I took my photos and spent some time meditating. I returned to the conscious world with my face covered by the warmth of the rising sun. Together with the thin fog covering Green Valley and the gentle morning breeze, I rose to jog.

Sunrise at Green Valley Baguio

I decided to take the normal route around the subdivision. I’ve walked these paths countless of times but have not really run on it. The air was thin and I can hear my heart pounding inside my chest screaming for oxygen. It was a good kind of physical pain. I successfully jogged the course twice without stopping. Around the subdivision, not much has changed except that there were more houses being built. Every year, new establishments are rising. I wonder if the day will come in Baguio when I would look at the horizon and see a clear path of trees and nothing else.

Green Valley, Baguio

After a buffet breakfast at the house, thanks to a generous tita, I had this urge to explore the Black Market. The previous day, I already visited the Black Market to look for ukay-ukay finds which was very fruitful. I bought about 8 pieces of clothing and spent only less than a P1000 (if I were in Manila that would have been like two items, if I am lucky). I was thinking I want to share pictures of the stuff I love about Baguio’s Black Market especially the juiciest fruits and the crunchiest vegtables one can eat.

Sagada Oranges from Black Market Baguio

Strawberries from Black Market Baguio

Another perennial favorite are the assortment of pasalubong one can bring home. This year’s catch finds include Lengua de Gato from Tartland (3 big containers for 200); Romana’s peanut brittle (P130); and my all time favorite chocoflakes from Mikasan (P80). These pasalubong can also be bought in small containers in groups of 4 for P100; 6 for P100 and 7 for P100 but under a different brand name.

Black Market Baguio

If you are buying these pasalubong in bulk, it would he very handy to buy these cartoon inspired bayongs where you can put all your purchases to avoid losing items. I am saying this based on personal experience.

Bayong Bags at Black Market, Baguio

If you plan to buy t-shirts, rugs, blankets, comforter and other souvenir items I would suggest to to buy them first before going to the fresh produce side of the Black Market so you can roam freely before buying your fruits, vegetables and flowers. If you are a suki of Tita Cora of Tita Cora’s wooden handicrafts, owner of one of the best souvenir shops in the Black Market, maybe she will agree to make her shop your temporary depository station and a meeting place as well after shopping your hearts out. From Tita Cora, I bought handcrafted tissue boxes worth P150 only. We saw the same item at SM’s Kultura and it costs twice the price we bought it from Tita Cora. The best thing about being friends with the locals is gaining a resource person who has amazing stories to tell you about Baguio and a benefactor of a wonderful handcrafted fertility idol as a gift on your wedding.

Black Market

My journey brought me on foot to Session Road. I was looking for animal hats I saw on a couple of girls who were wearing them at SM. I wanted to buy a cat hat. Inside the Black Market, the animal hats price ranges from about P200 to P280. In Session Road, I got mine (after much haggling) at P180 only to find out that these animal hats are being sold at Divisoria for P120 a piece or P100 for wholesale. My justification to myself is that at that time I was in Session Road, it was “a need” and at the same time “a want” so it was not that painful to pay extra.

Animal Hats, Session Road, Baguio

In my journey along Session Road, I couldn’t find a restaurant I fancy. Most of the eating spots I saw were also restaurants I see in Manila. I considered visiting two places though. One is Razon’s and the other one is Sizzling Plate. I thought of Razon because I was wondering what it would be like to eat Halo-halo in Baguio and Sizzling Plate because the ambience caught my attention.

Razon's Session Road Baguio

In Sizzling Plate there were a moderate number of people and they seem happy inside the restaurant. Still, I was quite disappointed seeing that there are not much unique choices. I consoled myself that this is a good reason to return next time with a goal of looking for restaurants that truly represent Baguio. Still, if you have anything in mind, why don’t you post a comment and suggest your favorite Baguio restaurant.

Sizzling Plate, Session Road, Baguio

Apparently, all roads lead to SM Baguio but before I can reach the landmark I found a stopover beside the BDO bank where I can take a photo of the city from a higher vantage point.

BDO Session Road Baguio

Bus Line Baguio

My day’s journey ends at Starbucks where I found the time to write this half-day journey of mine. It’s a good change from the usual hustle and bustle of the city. It still feels a lot like the city though. It definitely smells like the city from where I am sitting. The difference maybe is the chilly weather but there is nothing that will make me not love this day exploring Baguio one morning on December 2010.

Tomorrow trip to the Balatoc Mines and Baguio Farm – I cannot wait.