BLOGGED PHILIPPINES

I traveled to Hong Kong last February this year, and that's my second vacation and 7th time there. Most of the time, I'm just passing by on the way to other destinations, so I know what I'm saying. So here are some  tips to save money in Hong Kong. Hong Kong as viewed from The Peak 1. Book a cheap lodging place Hong Kong has one of the most expensive real estate, if not the most costly. You would understand then that renting a place there is so expensive. But because of the economy of scale, meaning the sheer number of tourists, some hotels could lower their prices to keep up with the competition. If you're not sensitive to the room size, you can have a  decent place to stay for just 1000 pesos per person per night . It could be lower if you're in a group of 4 to 6. Book using agencies such as Agoda.com or Booking.com to see many options. In my previous stays in Hong Kong, I stayed at  Apple Inn in Mong Kok  and  KG Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui . Both offe...

It’s in the news last week that Cebu Pacific will strictly implement their policy for hand carry baggages. So what really is the current policy. Here’s what their website says. Every passenger is allowed one carry-on or cabin baggage, with a maximum weight of 7kg and dimension of 56cm x 36cm x 23cm for Airbus flights and 56cm x 35cm x 20cm for ATR flights. - source This stricter implementation is set to begin tomorrow. Cebu Pacific explained the purpose of this move: “to streamline operations and to provide a more efficient check-in experience.” Cebu Pacific Flight So if it has been your habit not to care for the actual weight of your carry on bags, then it’s time to weigh in. Excess weight will require check-in which will cost you more than to book a check-in baggage in advance. Most airlines are not strict with this 7kg policy. AirAsia is the only company I personally know that is very strict at this. But since Cebu Pacific is the largest airline company in the countr...

About eight years ago when me and my friends were flying from Cebu to Davao, we came across an issue as we pass by the second inspection point in the airport. After my friend’s bag passed through the X-ray machine, an airport officer called her up and confirmed if she’s bringing an umbrella inside the plane cabin. On that day we knew that umbrellas needs to be checked-in. We are not informed of the new policy. In that instance, my friend surrendered her precious umbrella than pay extra baggage for it. Baggage security check in airports. Since then, things have already improved. At some point, checking in your umbrella won’t cost you a dime. And now, the latest as per my experience last month, you can now bring your “foldable” umbrella inside the plane. The prohibition only applies to cane type of umbrella. What I mean are the long “non-foldable” umbrellas. So the next time you fly and are worried you won’t have an umbrella to use in your destination, this information may comfor...

All the passport appointment slots on all 27 branches of DFA is already filled up (or blocked?). Yes, you can check it out at  https://www.passport.gov.ph/appointment/individual/site . The only time I saw it opened up was the first week of December 2017. Then after a few weeks, all slots were already taken. So earlier this month, I had a chance to visit Cebu DFA and I asked if there's a way to get my passport processed even though the slots were already taken. Like, walk-in in the afternoon after all the passport appointments have already been accommodated. After all, DFA Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano mentioned that there's about 40% no-show on the appointments , so I was thinking that there must be some extra time the DFA can accommodate walk-ins. Turns out.. no...you really need an appointment . But wait, here's something you would like to know. So, when I arrived at Cebu DFA, I asked the guard. What I discovered made me feel confused (and suspicious). Here's wha...

Bad news for those who needs to have a passport or have their passport renewed. All branches of Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), yes all 27, have already filled up all the slots in their appointment system until the end of March. If for some reason you were not able to set an appointment last month December, you will need to wait until April to be able to process a passport. The Problem with the Current Appointment System The online appointment system implemented by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is surely a big help in convenience. Prior to this, passport applicants line up in DFA offices as early as in the wee hours of 12 midnight. By six in the morning, a DFA personnel, usually a security guard, will distribute priority numbers. The process will go smoothly from then on. Once you started the first step and as long as you have all the requirements complete, you'll finish in about 15 minutes. A few weeks later, you'll have your passport. The same is true ...

It's a rare occasion that one makes a mistake in his or her own name. But the possibility of making a mistake when you are booking for someone is relatively higher. If you accidentally made a mistake in the name of the person, here's what you can probably do to correct the matter. Contact the airline immediately. Whether through phone, live chat, email, make your concern known to the customer service department of a particular airline. When I made a mistake in the salutation address of my friends (i.e. Mr, Mrs, Miss etc.), I quickly contacted AirAsia via live chat. They quickly made the change and sent an updated itinerary.

Traveling to Cebu City but is either short of budget or just don't want to spend lavishly for expensive hotels? Well, here are some relatively inexpensive inns, hostels, and hotels in the city that can give you just what you need - a place to sleep for a couple of days.

This is just an informal review of my stay there in Go Hotels Iloilo. To provide a short summary of my stay, here's the five categories I used to judge the hotel. Location: Excellent Cleanliness: Acceptable Amenities: Superior Value for Money: Excellent Service Quality: Superior Will I Recommend to Others? Definitely Here are the details. Location - Excellent! Located at the heart of Iloilo City Proper and technically part of Robinson's Mall building, Go Hotels is in perfect location to have the convenience of having nearby stores, restaurants, access to public transportation. Cleanliness - Acceptable Not sure if this true to all other rooms but I can clearly see the stains in the bed. Not sure what those are but it made the impression that the bed covers were not properly washed or if it was washed at all. With stains so visible in the deceptive yellow-light, it could be more pronounced if the bed covers were brought to white light. But a...

If you're thinking of traveling outside the country for the first time, I highly recommend going to Hong Kong. This former British colony is tourist-friendly. Equipped with advanced and efficient transport system - bus, subway, taxi - and many people able to speak English, it's hard to get lost and if you do, it's so easy to get back on track. Moreover, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, the two largest airlines in the country flies to Hong Kong frequently. And yes, Cebu Pacific offers promo fares (as low as 1 Peso base fare) from time to time. All you need is a valid passport and your tickets and you can enter Hong Kong easily. [Related: Latest Promo Fares] It's also relatively cheap to go to HK. Lodging place can be as cheap as 500 Pesos per night if you're not sensitive to room size. My last trip to this place cost me a little more than 15,000 Pesos (all-in) for a 3-day fun. View from Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

Dubai, the crown jewel city of the United Arab Emirates. An open-city in the middle east and is home to thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) is Cebu Pacific's first long-haul destination. The maiden flight to the Arab city is still in October this year yet Cebu Pacific is busy in promoting the new destination. Their latest promotion was just announced a couple of minutes ago - 100 Pesos Fare to Dubai. OFWs and tourists will surely love this latest offer. Although, the total price is far above from 100 pesos, it will more likely cost less compared to the offers of other airlines. And imagine the convenience of flying directly from Dubai to Manila without stopovers and wasted time in airports waiting for the connecting flight. Many OFWs do that to save money but this latest promo will allow them to save more and yet get more convenience. Cebu Pacific offers 100 Pesos base fare to Dubai

I was surprised by the news about PAL's move to penalize latecomers with additional fees . I actually thought that they have been doing that since the start. Well, Cebu Pacific is already doing that. The first time I actually felt it was in 2010. The story goes like this. My friend is scheduled to fly to Cebu after a week of vacation in his hometown in Marikina. It was a week after the deadly flood of typhoon Ondoy. Many roads were closed. He miscalculated his chances and he ended up 10 minutes late in the airport. And guess what, he was denied to check-in. He paid another 2500 pesos for the next trip. That was terrible but as I read through the Terms and Conditions, I realized what they did is valid. Two years later, I was going to the airport after a few days of vacation in Bulacan. In the past, it usually takes 3 hours from Bulacan to Airport. But it was not a usual day. Starting in East Ave, everything seems to be slow. The bus is slow. The traffic is terrible. We had to re...

I've been flying domestic flights for about five years now since I started working in Cebu. Through the years, I have witnessed the growth of the number of travelers and the changes in policies of local airlines. For instance, before the second half of 2010, you can still bring your umbrellas with you inside the cabin. But, sometime on the on the second half of that year, things changed: you are now required to check-in your umbrellas. In my opinion, in some if not most, of the changes, people are not well informed. So they usually find themselves arguing with the ground personnel. But in most of my experience, the airline companies is less considerate when it comes to making exceptions. For example, because of the "umbrella" policy change, my friend was forced to leave hers at the airport just to make it to the plane. In some cases, people paid extra baggage just to check-in their umbrellas. But to be fair to the local airlines, they are now more considerate than bef...