Dear Friends,

Good morning to you!

I met with Gov. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga last night in San Fernando, Pampanga to talk to him about his current situation there. He told me that his situation in Pampanga is very delicate right now for several reasons:

a.) His Provincial Board has not approved his Operational and Supplemental Budget thus, he is unable to deliver some of the basic services needed by his province such as the scholarships for indigent students. Worse, he now has to commute to go to the Provincial Capitol because he has to save the little money that he has so instead of using the official vehicles, he just commutes which makes him very vulnerable to attempts of other people against him. In fact, he has also reduced the number of his bodyguards because of the meager budget that they have.

b.) He is losing several members of his staff due to the fact that the Provincial Board led by the Vice-Governor has downgraded the salary level of most of his staff in the capitol to salary grade 1 which will only pay the person P 5,500.00 per month! Thus, many of his good staff members especially those who have families have started to encounter some financial problems thereby forced to resign to be able to look for employment that is more financially rewarding.

c.) All the mayors are currently against him and working for his recall due to the fact that he has not allowed majority of them to take part in the quarry collections of the province. In the past administration, the mayors were given by the governor their share of the quarry collections which they in turn use for their own personal interests.

Right now, Among Ed is really having a difficult time in Pampanga and he needs our help. The reason why I think we need to help him in any way we can is because, Among Ed represents not only Pampanga but more importantly the Hope that Filipinos can have an honest and ethical leader that will put the interests of the greater majority above the self-interests of a few. If we do not support a good man like Among Ed, what incentive will Good and Well-meaning people have to run for public office? We cannot allow a good man to fail because all of us just choose to do nothing while evil people try to put him down.

Here are the things that Among Ed needs:

a.) Gasoline Contributions so that he no longer needs to commute from his residence to the Provincial Capitol. This will most likely be around P 2,500.00 per week.

b.) Sponsoring of Staff members for Among Ed so he can hire good people for his government that will help him deliver better services to the people. This will be around P 10,000.00 per month per person for at least a year. We are looking at hiring around 10 people to support him.

c.) Education Scholarships for financially- disadvantaged students in Pampanga. This will be around P 10,000.00 per year. We need to raise 1,000 scholarships.

d.) Sponsor for the printing of Among Ed's accomplishments so that the people of Pampanga may know what programs and projects he has already implemented and to counter the smear campaign being done against him. We will need to look for a printing company that can sponsor this.

e.) Volunteers that can help him develop a Public Relations Campaign to highlight his achievements in office.

So far, these are the immediate needs of Among Ed. While I agree that Among Ed has his flaws as a leader and there have been comments thrown at his current Provincial Administrator, I think the whole issue here is we need to work together to promote Good Governance and Ethical Leadership in our country. Among Ed has shown all Filipinos that there is still Hope in our political arena but his enemies are continually trying their best to kill that Hope by putting him and what he represents down. I hope that in our own small way we can all chip in to help Among Ed and work together for a better country.

Sorry for taking up much of your time. If you would like to respond to this call to support Among Ed, please send me an email at harveykeh@gmail. com .

I hope you can help by forwarding this email to some of your friends and colleagues who continue to believe in Good Governance in our country.

Thank you and may you have a good day! :)

Sincerely,

Harvey S. Keh

--
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ supportgovpanlil io/
http://twitter. com/harveykeh

Sisig (Kapampangan's Best)

Sisig roughly means "to snack on something sour". It is an original kapampangan delicacy that is very popular in Pampanga around Angeles area.

Well just for a short history of the origination of sisig, it started by the time wherein pigs head were sold at a cheap price at the food commissaries located near Clark air Base in Angeles Pampanga. Locals then purchases these pigs heads and prepare it by boiling the pig's head, chopping it then marinated with local lime juice or calamansi juice, vinegar, salt and pepper, and cilli peppers.

The official inventor of what we know now as sizzling sisig is Lucia Cunanan or popularly known as "Aling Lucing" her story for inventing the sisig was similar to the story of the inventor of popsicle Frank Epperson, it was invented accidentaly when Aling Lucing burned an order of grilled pigs ears and it was the last one by that time, so she approached the customers, appologized for the accident and told the customers that she would do something to fix it. The customers agreed then she went to the kitchen chopped the burned pig's cheeks added some mashed chicken liver, chopped onion, vinegar, calamansi juice to remove the burned taste. She then serve it to the customers and suprisingly loved what she have created and that was the first ever sisig that was made. In time, she standardize the recipe that what we know now as "Aling Lucing's Sizzling Sisig"

Here's the standardize recipe that almost all sisig makers use as thier base in cooking sisig:

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs pork cheeks (or 2 lbs deboned pork hocks)
1/2 lb liver (chicken)
2 cups water (for boiling)1 cup chopped onions
3-4 finger hot peppers (siling labuyo)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup calamansi juice (lemon juice)
1 tsp whole black pepper (crushed)
Salt to taste

Proceedure

1.Combine pork cheeks (or deboned pork hocks) in water and crushed whole black pepper and bring to a boil; simmer for about 1 hour or until tender.
2.Drain and cool to room temperature.
3.Slice pork cheeks/hocks into 2″X3″ X 1/4″ thick pieces for grilling.
4.Grill over charcoal briquettes the pork and liver until crisp and browned.
5.Chop the grilled pork cheeks/hocks and liver.
6.Mix the chopped meat with the marinade seasoning mix of onions, vinegar, calamansi juice, hot peppers (siling labuyo), salt and pepper;
7.Serve on a sizzling sisig plate.

From this recipe a lot of variations has been made from the past years, poultry based, beef based, veggie based, exotic or game based and many more...

I believe what separates sisig from other pinoy delicacy's is its simplicity and straight forward taste the perfect balance between the meaty and livery taste that is complimented with the pungent taste of onion and the sourness of combination of vinigar and calamansi juice. And did I mentioned that its a perfect match for beer? yep! its one of the best pulutan, so beer drinkers out there...

If you want to taste the best sisig I have two places that I really love to go to first is of course Aling Lucing Sisig and the other one is Congo Grille.

Aling Lucing Sisig Queen

Aling Lucing's, why? the answers very simple it's the original, and if you want to taste authentic sizzling sisig the place to go is Aling Lucing! The taste and texture of its sisig, it a perfect balance of crunch and meaty chewiness the taste is heavenly, just the right sourness and saltiness, not too strong or overpowering, so it goes well also with other dishes. Of course the spiciness is up to the one who eats it but the best proportion of red chilli pepper is per 1 sisig plate of sisig is two fingers of red chilli peppers.

Where is it located you ask? its located at crossing, angeles city near the highway you would know that your near there is you would see a line of grills and eatery and of course the aroma of grilled goodness would lure you right through so you can't miss it!

Congo Grille

In my personal opinion if sisig is what you are looking for then go to congo grille. Aling Lucing is known to be the Sisig Queen well say hello to the Sisig King! Yep Congo Grille is the Sisig King and its for a reason, its specialty is sisig. To enumerate its sisig specialties are: tuna sisig, chicken sisig, sisig kapampangan and pork sisig (2006 Sisigfest winner).

Tuna sisig has a great distinct taste that separates it from the conventional sisig that is made out of pork, dont be surprised onced you tasted it cause you would not actually taste the greasy fish flavor, why? its because of the sauce/dressing that is mixed with it... when you eat the tuna sisig its more on the melts in your mouth kinda thing, it just slides on your throat, its more on the salty sweet side but not that too salty.

Chicken sisig on the other hand is more on the chewy side. The flavor on the other hand is quite good for a chicken based food not that dry nor bland, it has that same sauce/dressing like the tuna one, if you like chicken more than pork or fish, its the one for you.

Sisig kapampangan is the classic native style of sisig wherein it the pork cheeks and chicken liver is deep fried chopped sauted in a pan with onions green chili peppers, and seasoned with soysauce, vinegar then served in a sisig plate topped with calamansi and red chili peppers. The taste is somehow old school chewy more than crunchy.

And its best seller and my personal favorite the Pork sisig. I love it for the reason that it is crunchy and together with the onions it produces a great texture in your mouth... and its sauce/dressing makes it even more mouth watering! That why its a winner.

Sisig definitly a dish to savor.

Sabi sa libro, noong unang panahon, ang orihinal na kilalagyan ng Mt. Arayat ay wala sa bayan ng Arayat kundi nasa bayan ng Candaba. Itinayo ni Sinukuan, ang hari ng Arayat and bundok para sa mga mamamayan ng Pampanga lalo na para sa mga taga Candaba. Subalit dahil hindi naging maganda ang pag-uugali ng mga tao noon doonay nagalit si Sinukuan at inilipat ang bundok sa bayan ng Arayat kung saan narooon ito ngayon. Ang dating kinalalagyan ng bundok sa bayan ng Candaba ay naging isang malalim na hukay kung kaya ito ngayon ang tinatawag na Candaba Swamp.

Pinaganda at pinatibay ni Sinukuan ang bundok Arayat upang magpakitang gilas sa kanyang iniirog na si Maria Makiling. Iniibig din ni Makiling si Sinukuan kung kaya ang isa pa niyang manliligaw na si Pinatubo ay galit na galit sa kanila.

Isang araw, habang namamasyal sina Sinukuan at Maria Makiling ay binato ni Pinatibo ang matayog na bundok ng Arayat (kung kaya't ang hugis ng Mt. Arayat ngayon ay tila napingas ang tuktok nito). Nasira ang pinakatuktok na bahagi ng bundok. Nang dumating si Sinukuan sa kaniyang bayan ay nagalit siya sa kaniyang nakita, kung kaya't dali-dali siyang sumugod kay Pinatubo at ginulo ang at sinira niya ang napakataas na bundok nito.

Kaya ngayon kung inyong makikita, ang bundok ng Pinatubo ay isang napakahabang hilera ng mga bundok at hindi kagaya ng ibang bundok na nag iisa lang.

The place itself is done in typical Mexican decor with knick knacks all over to give it a very authentic feel.

Quesadilla Supreme - Beef or Chicken Php 180. Perfect with ice cold beer!!!

Chili con carne - Php 95 .... Ahhhh, Piping hot. We wolfed down this yummy bowl of chili in minutes.

Rating : Love It

Food   : Quesadilla

Summary : I love Mexican food and I can have it everyday. Zapata's was authentic and better than the Mex restaurants found in Manila!

Zapata's

Fields Avenue, Pampanga

Mga Karakter

Grems, Bogart, Evil, HBK

Hunyo 28 nang taong ito, Sabado, ang takdang panahon ng pagdalaw sa bahay ng nanay ni Grems sa Angeles City, Pampanga

Apat na gala ang nagpasyang magkita-kita sa isang kapihan sa Gateway bandang alas-nuwebe nang umaga. Pagkatapos mag-almusal ng jamon na roast chicken, kumukulong kape at tsaa, tumungo na ang grupo sa sakayan ng bus sa Cubao.

Matapos ang kulang-kulang dalawang oras, naamoy na namin ang simoy ng hangin ng Pampanga. Bumaba kami sa kalyeng tinatawag na intersection sa San Fernando. Mula dito, napagplanuhan naming dumiretso sa Guagua para masilayan ang sinasabing alindog ng Betis Church. (Sige na, si HBK na ang may pakana nito.)

Unang Araw

Unang Dyip

Plakard: Palengke

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula sa Intersection hanggang Palengke (Tatawagin natin itong Palengke 2, sapagkat ito iyong palengkeng hindi alam ni Grems. Pero siyempre noong una akala niya ito 'yung alam niya, kaya medyo parang naligaw yata kami na hindi na lang niya masyadong pinahalata. Tsk!)

Grems: "HBK, eto oh, simbahan!" [Sabay ngiti na parang Authentic Gremlin]

HBK: "Aha" [Itsurang nalugi.]

HBK: "Magtanong na tayo!"

Pangalawang Dyip

Plakard: Betis, Guagua

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P16

Paglalarawan

Mula sa Palengke 2 hanggang Betis Church

Sa wakas, natuntun din namin ang dapat tuntunin. Walang nagmimisa, walang taong nagsisimba. Pero swerteng bukas naman ang simbahan. Ginagayakan ito ng isang grupo ng mga kalalakihan para sa kasalan na idaraos kinagabihan. Kahit madilim sa loob, sapat na rin naman ang sikat ng araw na manaka-nakang sumisilip sa mga puwang ng bintana para kami ay mahalina sa makukulay na imaheng nakapinta sa mga kisame ng malaking dambanang iyon. Hindi na rin kami masyadong nagtagal upang huwag nang makaabala pa sa mga manong na abalang-abala sa paghahanapbuhay.    

Dagdag: Hindi naman sa nababaduyan si HBK sa pagiging relihiyosa/o kaya’t ipinagpipilitan niya na hindi naman tayo dadalaw sa Betis Church bilang mga debotong Katoliko, kundi bilang mga panatiko ng sining at kultura. Nahihiya lamang siya sa mga papuri’t panukala na siya ay tunay na Kristiyano kaya’t simbahan ang kanyang unang hinahanap sa pagdalaw sa mga probinsiya. Nakakatawa. Dahil wala naman talagang katotohanan ang pahayag na ito na karaniwang binibitawan ng mga nakatatandang umuusyoso. Mabait si HBK oo, pero matagal na siyang hindi nakakapasok sa tahanan ng Diyos hindi dahil sa tinalikdan na niya ang matandang paniniwala na ipinasa pa sa kanya ng magulang niya na ipinasa rin ng magulang ng magulang niya sa magulang niya, dadadadada. Marahil ito ay dulot ng pagkatuto sa kasaysayan kung hindi man sa pilosopiya na karaniwan nang dumedemonyo sa mga kabataang mapapalad ngunit marurupok. O marahil, dahil sa pagmamahal sa kalayaan.

Kaya’t tandaan, hindi tayo dumalaw sa Betis Church bilang mga debotong Kristiyano, kundi bilang mga panatiko ng sining at kultura.

Pangatlong Dyip

Plakard: Intersection

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P16

Paglalarawan

Mula sa Betis Church hanggang Intersection

 At kami ay nagbalik sa bahagi ng San Fernando kung saan kami ibinaba

ng bus kani-kanina lang.

Pang-apat na Dyip

Plakard: Angeles

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P18

Paglalarawan

Mula sa Intersection hanggang Palengke 1

(Ang palengke 1 ay 'yung palengke na pinagrereynahan ni Grems,

kaya hinding-hindi siya maliligaw dito kahit nakapikit

o may piring o lango o bangag o wangak.)

 Panlimang Dyip

 Plakard: Ah, wala eh, basta kulay orens siya at alam na ‘yun ng mga taga-Angeles.

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula Palengke hanggang kalye nina Grems na nabasa ko sa nakasulat

sa mga pader na Taguete Avenue

Kain. Kwentuhan. Ligo. Pahingang konti.

Pag patak ng alas-sais, naghanda na ang apat sa pagpunta sa palengke upang

bumili ng sisig, alkohol, chichiria, at iba pang mahahalagang pangangailangan.

Pang-anim na Dyip

 Plakard: ‘Yung kulay orens ulit.

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula kalye nina Grems hanggang Palengke 1

Pampitong Dyip

 Plakard: Orens

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula Palengke 1 hanggang kalye nina Grems

Pangalawang Araw

Alas-tres na nang umaga nang matapos ang inuman namin kagabi.

Si Bogart talaga ang naatasang magtagay.

Pero dahil mukhang nai-istres na siya, humalili na ang kaibigang si

HBK. Isang tagay para kay Bogart, isang tagay para kay Evil,

isang tagay para sa sarili, isang tagay para kay Grems, isang tagay para

kay Tita M (Nanay ni Grems). Nahihiya man si HBK sa kaisipang

baka malasing niya si Tita M sa kaka-tagay para dito,

naging maayos pa rin naman ang takbo ng tagayan.

Nakakabusog din naman ang mga kwentuhang makabuluhan.

Nang maubos ang toma, sinimulan na kaming hulaan

ni Tita M isa-isa. Una si Evil, sumunod si Bogart, at si HBK naman ang panghuli.

Alas-kwatro na nang kami ay mahiga sa kama.

Habang sinusubukang himay-himayin ang mga salitang maaaring

may kinalaman sa aming kinabukasan, depende sa kung paano mo

gustong tanggapin at paniwalaan, kami rin naman ay nahimbing. 

Tanghali na nang kami ay nagising.

Kain. Kwentuhan. Pahangin sa labas. Ligo. Sibat.

Pangwalong Dyip

Plakard: Orens

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula kalye nina Grems hanggang Palengke 1

Matapos mag-withdraw ng gold bars at bumili ng gamot,

nagtungo na kami sa Camalig para tumikim ng Armando's Pizza.

Dagdag: Rekomendado ang Camalig bilang isa sa mga restawran na

masayang puntahan. Astig, may lumang poster pa ni FPJ at old school na makina!

 Pangsiyam na Dyip

 Plakard: C. Point

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula sa tapat ng simbahang katabi ng Holy Angel Academy na katapat ng museong

walking distance lang mula sa Palengke 1 hanggang sa SM Clark.

Pangsampung Dyip

Plakard: M. Gate

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Sa Fields Avenue

Panlabing-isang Dyip

Plakard: M. Gate

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula sa kabilang dulo ng Fields Avenue hanggang sa kung saan kami nanggaling.

Panlabindalawang Dyip

Plakard:C. Point

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula SM Clark hanggang Palengke 1

Bumili ng Taba ng Talangka at Paning’s Butong-pakwan sandali.

Panlabintatlong Dyip

Plakard: Orens

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula Palengke 1 hanggang Kalye nina Grems

Empake. Kain. Paalam.

Panlabing-apat na Dyip

Plakard: Orens

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P8

Paglalarawan

Mula kalye nina Grems hanggang Palengke 1

Panlabinlimang Dyip

Plakard: Villa P.

Presyo ng Pamasahe: P18

Paglalarawan

Mula Palengke 1 hanggang Intersection

 At doon na ang sakayan ng bus pabalik ng Maynila.

Mga Usi: “O ano’ng ginawa niyo sa Pampanga?”

HBK: “Ah, sumakay ng dyip.”

Dyok Pis!

Katulad ng inaasahan, naging makabuluhan din ang paglalakbay na ito

tulad ng mga nauna.

Payong Pangkaibigan: Magdala ng kotse kung pupunta ng Pampanga.

Pero iyon ay kung pa-sowsyal ka at mahina ang iyong resistensya.

At siyempre, wala pa ring tatalo sa pagsakay sa dyip at sa sineng libre

mong masasaksihan sa pagsakay sa dyip.

Ayos!

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Lahar was not a familiar geological entity for most Filipinos until the eruption of Mt. PInatubo in 1991. Since then, lahar has been a catastrophic byword which full impact was known only when mud and sludge would create havoc in most of Pampanga. During the rainy season after the volcano eruption, lahar buried and wiped out the town of Bacolor, and spared no home, including the ornate town church of San Guillermo.

Yet even as many of Pampangos tried to rebuild their houses and their lives on top of lahar filled grounds, the townfolks also had to make use of what still remained of their half buried church. Where front main windows were supposed to be, now such have become the main entrance doors of the church. And since then, the belfry, together with the church ceiling has been significantly shortened by about twenty feet.  Also, with fiesty spirit, the people of Bacolor have dug up lahargrounds to save and use again the original beautiful retablo.

The church's height may seem to be less imposing this time. But because of the remarkable history, the church and  people of Bacolor have stood much much taller.

The place itself is located along the restaurant row of Fields Avenue.

They served complimentary bread with pesto in olive oil for dipping.

We ordered the Panizza Kristina - Bacon and Ham, caramelized onions and mushrooms Php 570. Panizza is a thin crust pizza-like dish rolled and eaten with arugula. The panizza is a house favorite.  A very thin crust with good quality ingredients for the topping. But I guess I had really high expectations for the panizza since everyone was raving about it. It was good but I actually liked the chicken more.

The wood fire roasted whole tuscan style chicken infused with lemon white wine and virgin olive oil served on onion, roasted potatoes and garlic roated italian broccoli Php 750 was a very good. The chicken was moist and succulent. It had marinated well and the flavors had infused into the chicken. I would highly recommend this dish.

The tiramisu wasn't that great. More of a sponge cake with cream filling and wasn't authentic at all.

Summary : I would come back. The panizza was good and the chicken superb. I would definitely look forward to trying out more of the dishes from the menu.

Rating : Like It

Food   : Tuscan Style Chicken

C' Italian

Fields Avenue, Pampanga

http://www.citaliandining.com

Make a Smilebox postcard

[gallery] ]]> http://realestatemanila.wordpress.com/?p=14 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:03:05 +0000 customerchampion http://realestatemanila.tl.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/mexico-pampanga/

So anyway, they asked to meet me at the Salcedo Weekend market where I got to meet new people. Arnel treated us to yummy paella, chicken inasal, and frozen yogurt. We left at around 1PM for Pampanga but as we were all feeling pretty sleepy after our filling lunch, we stopped by Starbucks along the expressway. Stayed for over an hour and then went off to Pampanga where we checked out the restaurant site first and then went on restaurant hopping right after.

Our first stop was Suzie's for Pancit Malabon, Palabok and Dinuguan with puto where we finished all these in a matter of minutes:

Next stop (and you would think we'd at least take a break after consuming all that pancit) was Razon's for their Halo halo. I don't know about you but even though I've eaten like there is no tomorrow, I will always ALWAYS have room for dessert. I don't know how I manage to make room for it but I always do. And I will always make room for Razon's. Their halo halo is literally sin in a glass.

Side comment: I want a better camera. Sigh.

After Razon's, we were pretty much too bloated to even think straight so we headed over to Clark and walked around for a bit.

Finally, once we finished with our 1.4KM walk around that vast open field, we were off to meet the others at Zapatas where we had all these:

A couple of pitchers of Frozen Strawberry Margarita!!!

Beef fajitas and Quesadillas!

I loved Zapatas! Loved their interiors. Check this out:

The parrot reminded me of my officemate Ish. Haha.

The place is just so cozy.

Un tequila sin sol es como un amor sin besos--A tequila without salt is like love without kisses. ;)

Meet my translator (and kapangalan):

And our gracious host, Arnel:

Thank you for feeding us!!! :)

The food makes good use of the deli's forte:  subs, burgers, and meat dishes.  You can order what Bretto's calls "submarinos" like turkey (P200), club sandwich (P235), and ham and cheese (P235).  You can also opt for what Bretto's calls roasts on buns, like the roast beef for P240 or Roast lamb for P275.  The roasts come with fries and a small salad.  Really small salad, actually. 

They offer the so-called biggest burger in town, and I think they are probably right about that.  A half pound "Fatburger" with pickled relish, chopped onions, and lettuce" runs P315 and if you've got a massive appetite, you can try the 1 lb version for P420.  They also serve a variety of other burgers, some with unlikely  ingredients.  They top the P315 Aussie burger with and egg and beetroot, making it overly sloppy, while the Bretto's special comes topped with cream cheese, olives, portabella mushrooms, tomato, and onion salsa, making it even sloppier to eat.  I couldn't think of an odder burger combo if I tried.

Then there are some simple chicken dishes, like the P240 fried chicken with fries, or the P330 chicken cordon bleu.  Other hot dishes include the bland baked pork chop for P225 or overly sweet pork barbeque for P235.

The food mostly reminds makes me think that whoever planned the menu watches FoodTV too much.  The combinations on the burgers, in particular, just don't work.  Onion salsa and cream cheese?  They just don't particularly complement each other.  What you end up getting is creamy goop.

The prices are high, but the portions are fairly large, with a few exceptions.  They have a few sausage selections, like a P295 pork sausage with mashed potatoes and peas that are just plain overpriced for what you get and thoroughly uninspired in their preparation.  Take sausage.  Fry. Add mashed potatoes--from a box.  Serve.  Not appetizing for $7 bucks, is it?

As I mentioned the restaurant lies directly adjacent to the deli and in fact you enter it through the same door.  It's a small cafe with perhaps 10 tables.  Service is unmotivated.  You'll need to flag down a waitress for whatever your needs may be.  Luckily it's a small place, so that's not difficult.  It's a nice environment to enjoy a meal.

While the Bretto's restaurant appears to be popular, it's not really worth the trip unless you happen to be shopping there. 

CUISINE:  Deli/Australian | COST: *** | RATING: *1/2

It used to be that Nayong Pilipino was near the vicinity of the Manila Domestic and International Airports in Pasay City. In that sprawling area, I remember the many depictions of the the more famous spots of the Philippines from Mt. Mayon's perfect cone shaped figure to the several different indigenous Filipino homes where souvenirs could be bought cheap. It was the perfect area to see the "whole" Philippines to tourist who have neither the time nor the money to travel the nation's numerous islands.

And I knew of the numerous plans to transfer Nayong Pilipino to different locations elsewhere (still near the airport) due to the expansion of the runways of the Ninoy Aquino International II terminal. In fact, there had been a contest for designers who can conceptualize best a spanking new Nayong PIlipino.

But all of a sudden, there was news that the Nayong Pilipino was transferred a smallish area at the old Clark Airbase in Angeles, Pampanga. I was perturbed with the decision. Surely, Pampanga can boast of another new tourism spot, but I was not sure of the viability of the transfer. It could be too far for those wanting to get a glimpse of what Philippines can offer culturally and in terms of travel spots.

Sad but true, Nayong Pilipino at Clark now has not been well maintained. And the time we were there, there was a handful of visitors thus even shops and eateries had to close.  After just a couple of years in the area, one could see colors of the kiping (rice chips) adorning the houses, depicting the Pahiyas Festival of Lucban, Quezon already faded. And the represented spots were very limited to Barasoain Church, Banaue Native Huts, Intramuros, and Vigan Houses among others. Well good thing for us visitors, the place did not ask for entrance fee. (On second thought, the place should have asked if only for its upkeep)

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In this quaint town of San Luis, Pampanga lies an 18th century church, beautiful in architecture, but somehow has a quiet nature about it.  Because of the church's limited and seemingly unadorned front area, it does not demand notice and attention unlike other religious structures. Yet it is undeniable how the church inspires steady faith from the townfolks as this structure is too intimate physically with the neighboring community.

Although the church's facade may seem to be unimposing despite the antiquity, its interior boasts of a spectacular interior mural atop the main altar, with God seated on the throne. Large capiz windows, antique floor tiles ,and handeliers that poured out from the ceiling make the church's rich ambiance, With the able assistance of its sacristan mayor, Mr. Rey Cayanan unselfishly gives a glimpse of what is inside the Church of the Jesuit Saint, Aloysius Gonzaga.

I woke up early in the morning (ok i was a little late that day) because PM and Madam (moderator in our student publication) told me to come with our EIC to Angeles, Pampanga, and it was quite a day actually. lol

We arrived around 11am in the printing press to do the final editing to our newsletter and actually finished before 2. And the most outrageous thing about it, is the trip back home to our lovely place in Bataan! I don't really do a lot of commuting, you know, riding jeepneys and buses to go to places, but because we don't have a car to take as back to the terminal, we have to go our own way. And to think it was raining!

Piapot: "Kuya Rem (EIC) alam mo ba kung saan tayo sasakay? Umuulan pa, tuwing pupunta na lang tayo dito lagi tayong inuulan, at pag bumaha, naku! bubuhatin mo ko!" [Kuya Rem do you know where we're going to get a ride? it's raining, every time we go here it always rains, and when the streets become flooded, your going to carry me!]

EIC: "Oo, sasakay tayo ng green na jeep. Tapos dilaw naman, tapos... Hindi na nga ako sanay ng umaaraw pag nagpupunta ko dito eh. Grabe, wag naman sana tumaas ang tubig." [Yes, we're going to ride a green jeep, then a yellow one, then... i'm not used to going here in a sunny day anymore. And i hope the water won't rise.]

Piapot: "Ang dami naman non... hay." [that's a lot. sigh.]

First ride: Green Jeepney. It was a small jeepney, actually its roof a little lower than usual. Imaging my 5'3" frame sitting and actually touching the roof of the car? And a little rusty. Though at least, it didn't shatter to a hundred pieces! Good thing. lol

After two minutes...

Piapot: "Kuya, tapos dito san tayo sasakay?" [Brother, after this where is our next stop?]

EIC: "Jan." [There.]

Piapot: "San yung jan?" [Where is there?]

EIC: "Basta dito. Sa banda doon." [Just here. Over there.]

Piapot: "San naman kayang parte ng mundo ang jan at doon?" [Where on earth can here and there be?]

EIC: "Basta may kulay yellow na jeep." [Where there is a yellow jeep.]

Piapot: "Ahhh... yellow naman ngayon.." [ahh... so it's going to be yellow this time.]

...

EIC: "Teka, Dito na pala." [Wait, we're here.]

Piapot: "Ang alin?" [what?]

EIC: "Para po manong. Bilisan mo baba na." [Stop here sir. Hurry now and go down.]

Piapot: "Grabe naman, di mo naman sinabi na malapit na pala ang jan at doon." [Gosh, you didn't tell me that here and there is already near.]

Second ride: Yellow jeep.

I don't know what's with the Kapampangan dialect. No, I don't have anything against it. And i know that we were in Angeles, no doubt with that. And the ride to this yellow jeepney made my head ache. Imagine hearing E.T and Kokey in a loud conversation. Yeah, it was a little annoying. It was loud, and It was like i am a goldfish inside a tank full of piranhas in a war! Damn. But again, I'm nobody to criticize, but i just hope they feel that they are not the only human beings on this planet with an even annoying driver who keeps on honking and buzzing his turtle-like car. I just hope we can arrive to our next stop with our eardrums still working.

after five minutes...

Piapot: "Kuya tapos san na tayo nito?" [Brother, then where's next?]

EIC: "Ewan ko, basta sa babaan ng may sakayan papuntang San Fernando. hahaha" [I don't know, somewhere where there is a ride to San Fernando. hahaha]

Piapot: "Ang gulo mo sa direksyon natin, di ko maintindiahn. Pag tayo naligaw naku!" [Your directions are unclear, I can't understand. If we get lost Uggh!]

EIC: "hahaha hindi yan." [hahaha no we're not]

then the jeepney stops...

Driver: "!@#(&%#$(^&@)$*^)&(*%^)&*()%^*@)#&^#(@^*%"

Piapot: "Ano daw?" [what did he say?]

EIC: "Ewan ko." [I don't know.]

Misis na nakasakay namin sa jeep: "Dito na kayo." [You'll get off here.]

Piapot and EIC: "Ahhh.... yun pala yun. Ang weird." [ahhh... so that's that. Weird.]

Doraemon: "wenk... wenk... wenk... ang mahiwagang lengwahe!"

third ride: last stop to San Fernando.

Piapot: "Kuya huli na ba to? nahihilo na ko eh..." [Brother is this the last ride? i'm already dizzy.]

EIC: "Oo huli na to." [yes, this is the last.]

Driver: "@(#&%)$^(&{&#)&^$^&#^%(*#^%(#85$^)??"

EIC: "Dalawa po. Isang daan." [two. One hundred.]

Piapot: "Naintindihan mo? Ano daw?" [You understood? 'What did he say?]

EIC: "Hindi. Ewan ko? hahaha" [I don't know. hahaha]

Piapot: "Ano?! Sumagot sagot ka di mo naman alam! Eh san tayo sasakay dito?" [What?! you answered without even knowing what he's saying? where are we going to ride next?]

EIC: "Eh parang yun tinatanong niya, tsaka tignan mo sinuklian tayo, tama naman. Sa banda doon siguro. Magtanong na lang tayo." [It seemed like that's what he's asking for, look he even gave us the right amount of change. Somewhere there maybe. Let's just ask.]

Piapot: "Ha??? hindi mo pa rin alam? Sana lang makauwi pa ko ng buhay." [What? you still don't know? i just hope i'll go home alive.]

Aling nasa jeep na nakikinig sa amin: "Bababa na kayo dito. Dun kayo sasakay sa banda don." [You'll get off here. Then you'll ride over there.]

EIC: "Ah ganun po ba. Salamat po." [Oh is that so. thanks.]

Piapot: "Ayan na naman ang sa banda doon na yan." [And we're back with the here and there.]

Fourth ride: i didn't quite remember if it was a blue jeepney or whatever color it was. The last thing i had in mind is that after this, i will be inside an air conditioned bus on my way home. My head was aching and my ears is now hurting. But the least i expected...

EIC: "Para. Baba na tayo dito." [Stop. We'll get off here.]

Piapot: "ha? Dito? Eh hindi pa dito yung terminal ah?" [What? here? this isn't the terminal?]

EIC: "Syempre lalakarin natin." [Of course we'll walk.]

Piapot: "Ano?????? kung saan saan na nga tayo sumakay tapos maglalakad naman ngayon? Diyos ko! Naku talaga!" [What??!!!!! we rode everywhere then now we are going to walk now? God!]

EIC: "hahaha bilisan mo na lang." [Just hurry up.]

Piapot: "Sa susunod bumili na tayo ng sasakyan!" [Next time let's buy a car!]

Doraemon: "wenk... wenk... wenk... asa ka naman piapot!"

And yeah, what can i do. After walking and walking.., we were inside the Bataan Transit Bus going straight to Balanga City. At last i can now doze off. My ears are still working thank God. Though my vision was getting a little blurred that moment.

But what the heck, at least my trip to Mars is now over. And just for something to include in my crazy list, i'll learn how to speak the alien language and actually get to talk with E.T. and Kokey; And I swam with piranhas and went to Mars? Wow! Yey me! lol!:-)

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The service had some downsides.  Depending on the traffic level of the network, some of the higher bit rate applications, like streaming video, could grind to a crashing halt.  You see, cable modem networks are shared networks, meaning that if 100 people are surfing, your service might be great, but if 1000 subscribers are using the network, your bandwidth will decrease.  Also, the modems they offer tend to be flakey, sometimes requiring modem reboot (shut down, restart) to get an IP address. That’s in a addition to all of the other things that can go wrong in either dsl or cable networks:  servers down, high Internet traffic, and so forth.

DSL, offered by PLDT and Digitel, also comes with a modem, but it delivers data across telephone lines.  It’s not available in all areas.  The reason is complicated, but we’ll try to make it simple.  You’ve got to have a doohickey built into the phone lines within about a kilometer of your residence.  The doohickey is an optical node, basically a fiber optic connection to your neighborhood.  The Philippine phone companies haven’t quite gotten around to putting those connections throughout their network, even in Angeles City proper.

Cost is roughly similar to cable modem service.  At the time of this writing, the plans offered ranged from P990 for 384 kbps to P3000 for 3 Mbps.  Installation is free.  PLDT charges P1200 for the modem, though the fee is waived for any plan above P2000 and certain other high ticket plans. Full pricing plan can be found here:  PLDT pricing.

My experience with this service, with PLDT, has been a mixed bag.  It took them over a week to install the modem.  Once they installed it, they forgot to authorize the modem (basically, punch a code in the computer at their office to turn it on), so I spent a lot of time waiting around for these guys, all told, over a week.  When all was done, the broadband service worked flawlessly:  fast, not variable like cable modem bandwidth and no senseless modem reboots.

Better yet, I’ve experienced twice the download bitrates for the P2000/mo. Package: between 76 kbps and 170 kbps.  A lot more is possible at these bitrates.  Higher quality video streaming, twice the number of downloads, and very very snappy Internet browsing.

Unlike cable modem networks, dsl networks are not shared, so you have a dedicated connection between your computer and the ISP’s server, in this case, the phone company.  This should lead to more reliable and higher quality broadband, and it seems it does.

I don’t have any direct experience with Digitel’s DSL.  The Web consensus is mixed.  People seem to either love it or hate it.  All three services seem to vary wildly in quality depending on where the subscriber lives.

Some critical comparisons.  Comclark’s field service is a lot faster and generally more knowledgeable.  Both, however, act like monopolies and are not all that customer service focused.  You have to wait, sometime all day, for their installers.  They seem completely unable to pinpoint a time when they might come to your house and their installers are either literally the only Filipinos in the country who haven’t learned what a cell phone is or their companies don’t provide them, so don’t expect warning calls.  If you work, plan to golf or play billiards, or have errands to run, you’re out of luck.  You’ll be forced to sit in your house waiting and waiting, or have someone else do it for you.  I was forced to wait myself, because I had some specific installation things I wanted to make sure they DIDN’T do, like run a cable to an open window in our air-conditioned room.  I recommend you do the same.  Angeles City cable, in particular, is notorious for installers who show up, punch a hole in your screen and run a cable through your open window.  They seem allergic to installing proper jacks, or at least drilling nice, neat hole in logical places.  PLDT’s favor slap-a-phone line in with minimal work trick is to run the phone line through your air-conditioning cage opening.  So you see what you just might want to be around to prevent them from doing a slap-dash installation job.

Comclark has better phone service:  you can get a real person on the phone if you have problems.  PLDT, the phone company, does not publish any phone support numbers.  Figure that one out! 

Comclark’s closest office is in Saver’s Mall and it’s professionally run and well-staffed.  PLDT’s is not that much further away, on the left side after the bridge as you head towards Angeles City.  The waits are longer and the staff is less knowledgeable.  They tend to specialize in form filling rather than phone service.

To wrap it all up, if you just need Internet access and want to turn it on with the least hassle, go with Comclark.  If you must squeeze every bit possible out of your connection, buckle in and take a wild ride on the PLDT express.  Once the service is up and running, it’s actually quite good.  Comclark is cheaper at low bit rates, while PLDT ends up cheaper at higher bit rates.       -copyright 2008 acexpat.com

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Japanese entrepreneurs build new restaurants every day in the Philippines, it seems.  The most important ingredients to a good Japanese restaurant are fresh fish and good preparation.  Hanami does it right, for the most part.  Fresh fish goes into every one of their sushi rolls or onto their sashimi plates, and they can roll a mean maki.

When you enter, you'll see a cascading fountain over glass.

[caption id="attachment_103" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Clean & simple style"][/caption]

  A nice touch.  Too bad Hanami, the Japanese restaurant just a bit further down the street, has the same decorative feature.  In fact, minus some structural variations, the two restaurants could be identical twins.  Or at least kissing cousins.  Minimalist wood and faux rice paper environment with simple wood tables are the formula, and, to be honest, it works.  Ok, the TV at the bar blaring the latest Filipino soap opera ruins the mood a bit, but the service staff are extremely attentive.

The sushi bar presentation at Hanami outclasses the Niji, with a longer counter complete with glass display, seating, and usually at least two uniformed sushi chefs.  Niji's is more modest, nestled in the corner.  Nevertheless, they both prepare sushi and sashimi dishes in open view.  They have a back kitchen that handles the rest of the food prep--teppanyaki, yakatori, rice, and the like.

We've tried a number of the maki rolls, and they are better prepared than Hanami.  They're tighter rolled and more compact, which makes eating them with the obligatory chopsticks easier.  Hanami tends to serve rolls that fall apart before they get to your mouth.

The yakiniku, or grilled meats, also satisfy.  Chicken, pork, and squid skewers run between P130 and P165.  They make great appetizers.  The teppanyaki dishes, designed to feed several people, are more pricey.  They'll run you between P155 for simple beef and onions to P2000 for genuine Kolbe beef.  Personally, I don't care for teppanyaki.  It's an overly sauced rice topping (ok, that's my opinion only), and you can theoretically feed an army with it, but it lacks finesse.  I never order it.

You can feed two people comfortably for around 600 pesos for a dinner.  My personal approach to Japanese restaurants is to order a couple yakiniku dishes as appetizers, and perhaps miso soup (made from soybean paste), but keep the menu in hand.  After drinking and conversing a bit, I'll order a couple of maki rolls for me and my date.  That's a filling meal, and with drinks, it should come in at the price mentioned above.

In all, this is my current favorite Japanese restaurant in Angeles City.  If you find a better place, let me know--I love Japanese food.       -copyright 2008 ACEats.com

CUISINE: Japanese | COST: $$ | RATING: *** (of4)

Chowking's Halu-Halo

I love eating halu-halo because it's very delicious and refreshing. I always eat halu-halo in Chowking. I really love the taste of their halu-halo. Try their Half Dozen halu-halo for the price of P29.

Since I love trying something new to eat, I tried eating halu-halo in Razon's Robinson's Manila. Razon's is the pride of Guagua, Pampanga. It is known for it's halu-halo and pansit luglug.

Razon's Halu-Halo

Razon's halu-halo really taste the same as Chowking's halu-halo. Is Chowking getting their halu-halo from Razon's? Even though both have the same taste, I can say that Chowking's halu-halo taste even creamier and better than Razon's because Chowking put more milk and other ingredients (nata de coco, banana, leche plan, ube, buko, etc.) making it more delicious. You can buy Razon's halu-halo for P73.

We left Manila at around 6:00 am and arrived at around 8:00 (i think; sorry i lost track of the time). We almost did not get enough sleep as we had a happening the night before BUT the trip was all worth it. Aside from the fun that we had the kids and the many pictures that we've taken, we ate Sinigang (which Daddy Andy cooked) and fried Bangus (traditional home cooked meals are the best!). Too bad we were not able to take pictures of the food. :(

We were also able to watch the new Disney cartoon flick Wall-E, which I must say is very well made (more of that on future post). Before we went home, we dropped by SM Pampanga. It was a fiesta over there! It was like a quarter of the population was there. It was really crazy! The kids played games (A lot! Because they kept on winning, especially Alyssa!) and then we went to Starbucks to grab our usual Frappucinos.

Lesson learned from the trip 1: A quick trip to the country is equivalent to 3 days of regular eight-hour sleep. (It will most definitely re-energize you.)

Lesson learned from the trip 2: Pampangeno's love their SM!

Lesson learned from the trip 3 (and the most enlightening one): If you want to watch a movie with your significant other or you want to go shopping by yourself, without the kid, let your child play the Pinball Game (or something like that) because they have their way to keep on winning and the tokens would just keep a dropping! I tell you, they won't go anywhere. The game is just like heaven to them! Next thing you know, you're through with movie, the shopping and you'll even have some extra minutes to have a Latte in Starbucks!

Me, Ate Sally and Alyssa in front of Starbucks (Shell in NLEX)

Pampanga River

Front of the house

Alyssa in the hammock

Pampangeno's love their SM!

Watching the kids play (we're amazed at Alyssa's skill in winning tokens!

Busy day!! Enrollment @ Montessori de Xevera School. Taking Pictures for ID and fingerprint for Biometric System. With me is Sir Bong Gallo, my Project Associate.

Theme Park of Xevera Subdivision, Bacolor, Pampanga, PhilippinesRobin infront of Montessori de Xevera (Temporary) Faculty Office

Sir Bong with Montessori de Xevera Faculty

With me is Liza & Robin, My Project Associates. This picture was taken infront of Xevera Elementary School.

Liza, Bong and yours truly. Entrance of Xevera Theme Park
After a days work.... Relaxing @ sunset

May nabasa akong libro ni Ambeth Ocampo (Isang Historian) na ayon daw sa history, kaya sinabing masama ang ugali ng mga taga Pampanga, ay sila, o mga Kapampangan, ang nagsumbong sa pinagtaguan ni Emilio Aguinaldo sa mga Hapon. Si Aguinaldo ay isang Caviteno at ang nagsumbong ay Kapampangan, samakutwid, Caviteno ang nagkakalat ng tsismis na masama ang ugali ng mga Kapampangan!

Pero kidding aside, totoo ba yun? At bakit nga? May experience ba kayo? Baka naman kagalit nyo lang talaga. Eh bakit paborito nyo ang Sisig?! Ang layo no?