Quick Post About Hotel and Taxi Drivers

I'll be brief.

(1) It's sort of advisable to book hotels using sites like agoda.com. I was not able to book online because my laptop died on me while I was checking out my options yesterday. Typhoon Glenda brought down many trees in our area, specially in our backyard, and of course, damaged a few electricity lines -- so no power for almost two weeks now. I've decided I'll just go to the hotel and inquire about the affordable room I saw from agoda.com before my laptop's screen went black. Lo and behold for when I got there, the only available room for the day is worth P2300. Not convinced and refusing to be out of options, I went to the nearest Starbucks and charged my laptop. Look, I was able to find a cheaper room and it's a wayyy BETTER room than the ones they've offered me. I booked for 2 nights while I do my business in the city. I'll probably review my stay in the hotel through a future post.

Current Western Union Rates for Domestic Money Transfer In The Philippines

     Because of their current location in the US, my brother occasionally accepts money remittance from his co-workers. Just like what happened last week when they were in an isolated area and his colleague's family in the Philippines really needed the cash. He does not do this all the time, only when I have spare money in my wallet. I pay for it initially then he just pays me later in bulk (wayyy later if I may say) so we can save on the remittance charges. We split what's left of what his friends paid him, less of course the amount we spent on sending. We normally accept when his friends will send money to a BPI account or a BDO account (I can visit these banks readily and they're convenient) but since it was an emergency, we obliged to send via Western Union. 

     Of course I needed to know how much I will be paying for sending the money via Western Union so I Googled how much they charge for $300 (approximately P13,200 at that time). I don't know why it isn't readily posted on the Western Union website so I looked elsewhere. I found some info, yeah, but too bad, it was erroneous information. So imagine my surprise when I was asked to pay P540.00 to send P13,200.00 to somewhere in Quezon. Well anyway, for your reference, I took a photo of the poster displaying the current rates for sending money domestically (to and from anywhere in the Philippines) via Western Union.

Some Truth About ePinoyload.com

     Even before my dad's stroke last year, I spend approximately 60% of a year in my hometown. I love the quiet and the simplicity of life in the province, and except for the occasional "technology glitches", I have no complains being at home. When I say "technology glitches," I meant to say slow Internet connection or sometimes no signal at all, and yep -- not being able to find an e-loading station in the middle of the night when I desperately needed to reload my prepaid phone or Internet. That's why when Sam, my dad's therapist, mentioned an e-loading business opportunity from UPN (http://powerup.unlimitedpesonetwork.com), I said, why not? I get to earn a bit and then I can load myself anytime, anywhere. Such fun, right?

     I have no full knowledge how things work with UPN but I get that they've built their business platform around ePinoyload, because when I started encountering problems and he can no longer address my queries, Angelo (the guy who introduced Sam to the business) referred me to the ePinoyload website (http://epinoyload.com) and sir Jessie (the dealer from whom I am listed under) gave me a number of an ePinoyload staff who can accommodate my complains.

Mutya ng Daragang Magayon 2014 Winners

     The search for Mutya ng Daragang Magayon is one of the highlights of the Daragang Magayon Festival 2014 celebration in the province of Albay. The pageant is an annual search for the woman who best represents the beauty and character of Daragang Magayon. In his address to the people during the pageant night, Governor Joey Salceda said that "Imbedded in the guise of a pageant are the ideals for which we — as a people bound by one culture, and for which I — as a leader of a booming community — will continue to lead our journey."  He said further that behind Daragang Magayon pageantry is a celebration of the SPIRIT of MAGAYON -- which, according to the governor, pertains to the spirit of heroism, love of nature, constant kindness, preparedness, as well as the spirit of resiliency -- all of which embodies the Albayanos' continuing struggle for excellence and true beauty.

Mutya ng Daragang Magayon 2014 winners

Photo courtesy of Shanti Serrano

     Screening for the pageant was held last March 16, 2014 at the LCC Concourse and the Mutya ng Daragang Magayon 2014 Pageant Night took place last night, April 26, 2014, at the Albay Astrodome.

     From the 20 gorgeous ladies, here are the winners of the minor awards:

Ms. Talent Sarah Jane Balingasa

Photo courtesy of Wang Regalado

Parade of Higantes in Daragang Magayon Festival 2014

     The Parade of Giants, a colorful display of over 50 "higantes" representing Albay's mythological creatures, took center stage last March 25, 2014 as part of the Daragang Magayon Festival celebration. The characters on the "Parade of Higantes" were adopted from the book "The Brief Account of Beliefs, Legends, Superstitions and Religion of the Ancient Indios of Bicol" written by Fray Jose Castaño and published in 1885 in Madrid, Spain.^[1] Characters such as Daragang Magayon, Datu Makusog, Panganoron, Pagtuga, Linog, Sagugurang, Oryol, Ibingan, Angogolood, and Tambaloslos came in giant papier-mâché sculptures which are over 10 feet tall and paraded from Bicol University (assembly area) to Peñaranda Park.

Giant Anitos (Photo by  Peoalbay Albay Province)

     Here are some of the "higantes" during the parade, photos all taken from Governor Joey Salceda's facebook page:

Ibingan (Photo by Shanti Serrano)