BLOGGED PHILIPPINES

Philippines' largest airline Cebu Pacific announces in the wee hours of today another edition of their trademark promo: Piso Fare. The budget carrier offers as low as 1 Peso base fare on ALL domestic and international destinations. The travel period of flights under this promo is from July 1 ro December 15, 2018 while the promo period is until tomorrow, Friday, December 29, 2017. For those booking online or via their app, expect some serious difficulties due to heavy traffic of requests the servers will receive. But just be patient and persevere and you may be able to book a cheap ticket worthy of the effort. Destinations to Consider With the travel period on the second half of next year, you may consider the following destinations. Taiwan The visa-free trial period for Filipinos will expire July 31, 2018 so before that, you may wish to visit the island state and see one of Philippines' closest neighbor in the North. Taiwan is home to several tourist s...

I recently retired my Unionbank account which has been my only online method of paying my HSBC and Citibank credit card bills. So, I thought like I have no other way of paying my credit cards dept except going to the bank itself. But the thing here is: there's only one branch for the two banks I mentioned earlier here in Cebu. And with the worsening traffic condition especially this holiday season, it could take a long time traveling just to pay my debts. The good thing though is that I found out that I can pay my HSBC and Citibank credit cards via BPI Express Online. But unlike other merchants, you need to take extra steps to enable this capability. And by the way, this is true even to other non-BPI credit cards and loan providers. So here's the steps you need to take to enable it. 1. Check if your credit card can be paid with Express Online. Here's the list: Credit Cards Bankard RCBC Y Y Y Y card number *Signed Enrollment Form BPI Globe BanKo BanKo Y Y ...

Malacanang Palace just declared December 26, 2017 and January 2, 2018 as special holidays for the government employees. Memorandum Circular No.37 which made the announcement mentions government offices including government owned and controlled corporations, government financial institution, state universities and colleges, local government units and other agencies and instrumentalities .The two dates, which fell on a Tuesday, are the days following the two major national holidays in the country: Christmas and New Year's Day. These two new holidays will allow government employees extra time with their families. Traditionally, Christmas and New Year's Day were opportunities for families to get together. Aside from government, all others will return to their normal schedules. Government  employees that will be required to work on that day shall receive 30% additional on their daily rate. This is in accordance to the rules set forth by the Philippine Labor Law....

NOT YET . While the Lower House of the Philippine Congress has already approved the bill declaring December 8 as a special non-working holiday in celebration of the Catholic Feast of Immaculate Conception , it is yet to be approved by the Upper House (the Senate) and then signed by President Rodrigo Duterte. So tomorrow is NOT a holiday . The oval track of the University of San Carlos, Cebu City. However, some Catholic schools in the country will celebrate the said festival and therefore canceled both office work and classes. If you are studying or working in a Catholic school, please verify with your school official regarding this matter. Also, by coincidence, some cities and municipalities will be on special non-working day tomorrow for reasons such as "founding anniversary" of the city or municipality. Again, please check with your local government if that's the case. Otherwise, tomorrow is a typical Friday. [Read: December 4 and 8, 2017 are NOT Holida...

This week will be a "normal" week for most of us because December 4 and 8 are NOT non-working holidays contrary to popular expectation. Let me explain what happened. Let's start off with December 4. The Philippine Flag.  December 4 Holiday? No More Militant transport group PISTON has planned to hold a two-day nationwide transport strike starting tomorrow, December 4 but as early as this morning, news broke out that they decided to cancel the transport strike. The last time PISTON held a nationwide transport strike last October 16, Malacanang Palace responded by canceling classes and government work. With the strike canceled this time, classes and work will resume normally. And yes, you will have to face the deadly traffic of Monday Manila! December 8 Holiday? Not Yet Late last month, the lower house of the Philippine congress approved a bill that aims to make December 8 an annual special non-working national holiday to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculat...

Low-cost carrier and the country's largest airline Cebu Pacific notified users Tuesday night of their upcoming PISO Fare. Made famous by Cebu Pacific itself, this kind of promo offers 1 Peso base fare. Here' the details of the promo: Travel Period: June 1 to October 27, 2018 Booking Period: November 29-30, 2017 Destinations: ALL Domestic and International Destinations Tickets can be booked online at www.cebupacificair.com or using their mobile app. Tips on Booking You can expect that Cebu Pacific website will either crash or be very slow to the point that booking is an impossibility. The reason for that is pretty obvious: there's too many visitors than what the Cebu Pacific servers can entertain. It's always been the case when major promos like this are announced. But there are ways that may help you to catch some promo fares. Here's some of them. 1. Use the Mobile App If the website slows down, try the app. The reason is that there's...

Cathay Pacific and Citibank offers discounted fares to international travel next year. The promo slashes international fares of flights from Cebu to as low as 175 USD round trip exclusive of taxes and other charges. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flag carrier airline The travel period is from February 1 to August 31, 2018 while the promo period starts November 27 and will be open until December 3, 2017 subject to the availability of promo fares.Additional information such as the list of destinations and their corresponding discounted fares under this promo can be found in this link  -  https://www.citibank.com.ph/global_docs/pdf/TCs_CX_November_Holiday_Sale.pdf Tickets can be booked online using this link bit.ly/CITISALECEB or via phone using these numbers  1800-1441-1011 (PLDT/Smart) 1800-8739-5117 (Globe) or at Cathay Pacific ticketing offices. *Note that promo is only valid if you book/pay using a Citibank Credit card. Also, it i...

Asia's first commercial airline, Philippine Airlines (PAL) announces their latest seat sale offering as much as 70% discount in both domestic and international flights. The travel period is from January 16 to September 30, 2018. Promo runs from today until November 26. The tickets can be purchased online at www.philippineairlines.com . Travel Destinations  There are many destinations you can go to with the promo mentioned above. But I would like to suggest some that are especially nice to visit during the travel period of this promo. Japan - for the Cherry Blossoms Starting March up to end of April, the Sakura or the cherry blossoms of pink flowers will bloom once again delighting both local Japanese and the thousands of tourists who visits Japan annually just to see this beautiful scene. The promo period of this Philippine Airlines promo covers the Sakura bloom season so maybe it's your chance to see this natural beauty. The beautiful Cherry Blossoms...

The much hyped and awaitediPhone X is now priced locally. For the 64GB model, you can have it at 64490 Pesos while the 256 GB Model is priced at 73990 Pesos. These price points makes the iPhone X the most expensive smartphone in the history of iPhones. The local price points were revealed at Apple PH's website early this week. The iPhone X iPhone X is set for local release this coming December 1. It was announced by Apple last September 12 amid numerous rumors about its design, most of which were eventually proven true. It was the first iPhone to ditch the famous home button and feature an almost all-screen interface. It is also the first iPhone to use a facial recognition as a way to unlock the device. iPhone 8 and 8Plus as an Alternative For those who are dissuaded by the iPhone X price point, iPhone 8 offers a less expensive option at the expense of not having the new features mentioned above. The iPhone 8 prices starts at 44990 Pesos for the 64GB model while the iPhone...

Just a few weeks before the much hyped iPhone X arrives in the country, we can still find the item in Lazada Philippines being sold discounted from its original price of ~100,000 Pesos. The lowest that I currently see in the online retailer website is 69900 Pesos, about 28000 pesos less when it first appeared as part of the grey market. Newly launched iPhones doesn't reach the country at the same time as the United States and other wealthier countries. Before, it can take about two or more months. I can even remember the time when Globe Telecom owns the exclusive right to distribute iPhones in the country but only after several months since its release. To counter this delay, some are willing to go to the grey market which can jack up the price to 100000 Pesos or more for the immediate availability. The iPhone X was announced last September 12 in an Apple Event in the United States. It officially goes on sale November 3. Earlier this week, Apple PH website indicated it...

Here's one good news to cheer up your weekend. Low-cost airline Air Asia Philippines announced a a new promo offering as low as 16 pesos base fare on select domestic and international destinations. The 16 pesos is actually for flights coming off from Clark International Airport to Kalibo and Davao. But aside from that, there are also other low-cost promo fares. Please see the table below for the complete list. The promo period for this promo is from May 7, 2018 to January 31, 2019 . The promo period is from November 13 to 19, 2017. Here's the complete list of destination/routes under this promo: Promo Fare Route 16 Pesos Clark to Kalibo or Davao 201 Pesos Manila to Kalibo, Iloilo,Cebu, or Tagbilaran 216 Pesos Davao to Cebu, Kalibo, Manila, or Puerto Princesa 316 Pesos Cebu to Kalibo, Davao, Taipei or Singapore 1290 Pesos Manila to Kota Kinabalu, Taipei, Macau, Ho Chi Minh Tickets can be booked from their website AirAsia.com ...

It will not be a long wait after all. The much awaited iPhone X (pronounced as "iPhone Ten") will be finally coming to the Philippines this December 1, about a month after it was released to the United States and other countries last November 3. The iPhone X. Image by Apple Inc. The Apple Store Philippines iPhone X webpage confirms the release date as shown in the screenshot below. iPhone X is the latest iteration of Apple Inc's flagship product. First released amidst a lot of speculation in June 29, 2007, the iPhone has changed a lot through the years. From a 3.5-in display with home button, it has grown in size and features. After ten years since its first release, the latest iPhone version - iPhone X- ditches the home button in favor of a 5.8 inches all-screen phone with pure gestures, sensors and software buttons as ways to interact with the phone. It was announced last September 12 and went on sale in the US and selected countries last November 3. iPh...

Aside from the typical island tour in Bohol where you'll visit the Chocolate hills and check out the small primates called Tarsiers, there are other activities you can add to your itinerary. One of those is island hopping. Here's three islands you can visit in that activity Panglao The island hopping actually begins in Panglao island, the biggest land mass close to Bohol. While you won't need a boat to reach it, you still need to cross any of the two causeways connecting it to the mainland Bohol. Panglao is home to many interesting spots. The Alona beach in particular is the most famous among tourists. It's Bohol's own version of Boracay albeit the white sand shore is narrower than Bora. The Alona beach. Fine white sand and palm trees. From Alona beach you can rent for a boat and diving gear. You can also rent a boat to go and watch for dolphins early in the day. The boat costs 1500 to 2000 Pesos. Balicasag Balicasag is another interesting i...

Aside from the fact that the current President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte came from Davao City, it is also famous for another thing, Durian. The phrases "king of all fruits" and "taste like heaven but smells like hell" all refer to Durian because of it's pungent smell when ripe. This fruit is famous in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Thailand. And as indicated earlier, here in the Philippines, Durian is indigenous in Davao region. The Durian fruit. So if it happens that you're in Davao City between the months of August and November, here are three places where you can have the best deal for this incredible fruit. 1. Magsaysay Park There are fruit stands outside Magsaysay Park, a piece of land named after a former president of the country. Here, you'll find different types of fruits depending on which part of the year. But during the Durian season, the notorious fruit dominates them all. You can get to eat Durian for a...

After five long years after SMART and Globe launched the country's first LTE networks, PLDT-owned Sun Cellar was able to finally catch up. Yes, starting this month of October, Sun prepaid subscribers may now be able to access PLDTs LTE network promising up to 42Mbps of mobile internet speed. Sun LTE now available for prepaid subscribers. Long Term Evolution or LTE is a 4G wireless connection technology capable of transfering data at a very fast rate, as fast as ~300 Mbps. Here in the Philippines, PLDT promises speeds up to 42Mbps. Upgrade SIM Cards Sun Cellular prepaid and postpaid subscribers who wants to access the LTE network can go to the nearest Sun shop. Sun will upgrade your sim cards for FREE without changing your number. Just go to the nearest Sun Shop, get a priority number and wait for your turn in the customer service section. You will need to surrender your old SIM Card and fill up a document. Along with this, LTE capable SIM cards can avail of Sun's n...

Aside from Durian and Duterte, there's more in Davao to be interested with. As you may already knew, the Philippines was blessed with many natural wonders. Some of them I have written articles in the past. But going back to Davao, let's take a closer look in the Island Garden City of Samal. Here are four places you can go to if you want to spend a day in that island. The Montfort Bat Sanctuary Monfort Cave with over two million bats. This is a 245-ft cave that serves as home to about 2.3 Million fruit bats. When you go there during the day you can see them hanging in the walls and ceiling of the cave... and sleeping. But when you go there late in the afternoon or dusk, you may be treated with a beautiful sight: bats coming of the cave in tornado-like formation...2.3 Millions of them. Oh by the way, entrance is to the Monfort Bat Sanctuary costs 100 Pesos per person. You will be greeted by a tour guide who has some knowledge about bats and the cave. Pearl ...

 If you, just like me, had a change in employment status, for example from being in the formal economy (i.e. employed) to being in the informal economy or a self earning individual, you can still continue paying for your PhilHealth and reap the benefits of being covered with our national health insurance system. But before you can do so, you have to update your MDR or Member Data Record. Here are the simple steps: Fill out the PMRF or the PhilHealth Member Registration Form. Link HERE for the updated form . NOTE: Check the "For Updating/Amendment" box Bring an original and photocopy of a valid ID (SSS, UMID, Driver's License, PRC, Passport, etc) Come to the nearest PhilHealth Office. Come Early. Come Early. Come Early. The lines are long and slots are limited. Follow the instructions on site. You may have to pay for the previous months you were not able to pay. You can also pay in advance You will receive an updated MDR along with a new PhilHealth card.  If you registered...

I was opening the Unionbank website today to pay my bills when I was greeted by an announcement saying that they are introducing the Unionbank Online , their new online and mobile banking tool. And yes this is different from their eBanking and uMobile services. The two are still existing though to serve you, at least for now. My hunch is that sooner or later, those two services will be shutdown to make way for this all-new service. So let me pass on the news about this new tool. Here's 3 things you need to know. 1. Available in Mobile and Web The new service is available to three platforms: Android, iOS, and Web The apps can be downloaded from Google Play and App Store and the web version can be accessed via  https://online.unionbankph.com/ 2. You need to register again.  Yes you do. The uMobile and eBanking username and password will not work. But don't worry, the sign up process is extremely easy and user friendly. Just follow the intuitive procedure. 3. ...

Maybe it's late but I would like to inform everyone of this one-day Piso Fare promo from Philippine Airlines (PAL).The flag carrier is offering 1-peso base fare to Cagayan de Oro from Manila, Cebu or Davao. Cagaryan de Oro is one of the closest gateway to the war-torn city of Marawi. Philippine Airlines Airbus A330-300 plane.  Image by  Kentaro Iemoto  from Tokyo, Japan -  Philippines A330-300(RP-C3340) ,  CC BY-SA 2.0 ,  Link The booking period is only until today, October 28, 2017 and the travel period is  from today until December 14, 2017 . This promo presents an opportunity for those displaced by the war to return to their homeland albeit a bitter-sweet one. Tickets can be booked online at www.philippineairlines.com ONLY. There's only 1000 seats available for this promo so please book quickly before it runs out. Battle for Marawi Marawi City, once a shining jewel of Mindanao is down to ruins. Last May 23, 2017 a conflict erupted b...