DAVAO CITY – The Seda Chef Exchange Program brings in another premier chef this June to feature international dishes – Seda BGC’s Executive Chef Romualdo “Pepe” Castillo. After a successful “Japanese Food Festival” with Seda Nuvali’s Chef Danny Gallardo last
Seda Nuvali’s Executive Sous Chef Danny Gallardo comes to Seda Abreeza to showcase his expertise in Japanese food and buffet. DAVAO CITY – Seda Abreeza offers a new taste as Seda Nuvali’s Executive Sous Chef Danny Gallardo shares his Japanese
DAVAO CITY – To culminate the Visit Davao Fun Sale tourism sale program organized by the Department of Tourism-11, Davao City Tourism Office and in partnership with private tourism stakeholders of Davao, two electronic dance music parties were held simultaneously,
DAVAO CITY – Organizers of the Visit Davao Fun Sale have teamed up with two of the city’s hottest night spots in bringing to the visitors and the locals the most exciting parties to end the city-wide tourism sale program.
DAVAO CITY – To saturate the market for the Visit Davao Fun Sale (VDFS), organizers launched the Visit Davao City Lifebit App, which serves as a digital access to discounts and freebies being offered by participating establishments for the on-going
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 April) — “I enjoyed it very much,” Architect Ahmed Madani, son of Secretary-General Iyad Ameen Madani of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said of his “very, very short” visit to some tourist spots
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 17 April) – Davao City’s massive sale event returns this year and promises tourists and visitors fun that goes beyond shopping. After last year’s Big Davao Fun Sale (a month-long sale and was dubbed as the
Karen Lou Deloso / Davao Oriental Provincial Information Officer DAVAO ORIENTAL (MindaNews/11 April) – The Provincial Government of Davao Oriental opened on Sunday, April 5, the newly completed zipline ride in the soon-to-launch Aliwagwag Nature Park in Cateel town, Davao
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/23 March) — The return of Asia’s Next Top Model for its third season puts the spotlight on not one but three Filipino contenders–coming from diverse backgrounds–who will be waving the country’s flag and taking a shot at
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/28 February)–On some days, when I want to take things slow, I enjoy good food by learning about foreign dishes and discovering the creative process involved in exploring flavors carefully. I got the chance to do this recently
In 1963, Conrado Alcantara and his wife, Ladislawa, took one look at an 8,370 square meter property along Claveria Avenue (now Claro M. Recto) and decided that it was the perfect place for a commercial complex. The Alcantaras had their
Huckleberry Southern Kitchen and Bar is now open and ready to serve a contemporary taste of the American South. Southern cuisine is known as comfort food, and Huckleberry offers time-honored recipes from the Carolinas to the Creoles, with a little
It’s time to rethink our mobile phone choices. Again. This time, it’s not going to be about which brand or model to buy. It’s going to be about how to deal with the old phones that we have forgotten after
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/20 September) — Psychedelic graphics of console titles and mind-bending mechanics of mobile puzzle games would make anyone think that the gaming world (and the business behind it) is alive. They’re right. It is as alive as Chun-Li
This year’s Make Your Own Havaianas (MYOH) returned to Davao with its usual colorful and summery vibe. On top of the extensive range of colorful soles and straps, and attractive pins for flip-flops customization, the seventh edition of the event
The people of Cotabato City take pride in the Inaul because it represents their vibrant cultural heritage. The understated elegance of the fabric and its colors express the “Maguindanaoan state of being” in a way that no other piece of
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 July) — Being located way down south of the country, Mindanao is undeniably perceived as a backwater when it comes to fashion. This common notion, however, opens the idea that there is so much to be discovered
GENERAL LUNA, Siargao Island (MindaNews/11 June) — Some 20 surfers lined up at Cloud 9 surfing spot in Barangay Catangnan shortly after lunch time on Tuesday. The swell was not higher than a house ceiling but the waves were just
MAGPET, North Cotabato (MindaNews/13 May) — Nestled in lush vegetation, Tawsuvan Falls in Barangay Bongolanon is perhaps the most popular among its cousins on the foothills of Mt. Apo because of its beauty and accessibility. It’s been 10 years since
VIENTIANE, Laos (MindaNews/2 May) — Always in tandem, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Communist Party flags were the first things that struck me when I landed in Vientiane a year ago. It’s a country, indeed, and a communist-led state.
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (MindaNews/15 April) — A Vietnamese rendition of the Philippines’ national costume is one of the featured dresses in Vietnam’s first Ao Dai Museum. The Terno-inspired Vietnamese dress is created by renowned Vietnamese designer Le Si
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to be in the know in Hanoi. I learned this the hard way because I didn’t turn to Google when I settled in the city about 11 months ago. I ended up whining
ALEOSAN, North Cotabato (MindaNews/21 March) — What comes to your mind when you would hear the name of this sleepy town? For sure, you would always think of war. You would also think of the dreaded vigilante group Ilaga fighting
TRAVEL/FITNESS ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 09 March) – Until recently, I’ve been to eight of Iligan’s two dozen or so waterfalls. Twice I was commissioned by the City Tourism Office to document the waterfalls in pictures – first in the
HANOI, Vietnam (MindaNews/07 March) — New York City-based photographer Kevin Truong was 26 years old when he came out as gay to his Vietnamese mother. “I remember sitting across from her at the dining room table, and telling her I’m
After Hanoi-based Vietnamese game developer Dong Nguyen took down his Flappy Bird mid-February from the Apple App Store and Google Play, a bunch of boggling things happened. Devotees to the game became disappointed. Haters rejoiced. Clever monkeys turned to eBay
By Lorie Ann Cascaro and Jesse Pizarro Boga HANOI, Vietnam to VIENTIANE, Laos (MindaNews / 5 March) – A corner in the outskirt of the Old Quarter in Hanoi became our instant dressing area amid the hustle and bustle of
VIENTIANE PROVINCE, Laos (MindaNews / 22 Feb) – Perhaps his words were lost in translation before they got to me. Last Thursday, I had a very brief conversation with Khek, who tends a bike shop at Dongpayna in Vientiane. He
IN TRANSIT, REUNIFICATION EXPRESS — No one heard the typical train whistle sound as the Reunification Express train at Saigon station prepared to take off. The audible sounds were the choruses of people who were trying to make themselves comfortable
Text and photos by Jesse Pizarro Boga Cau Treo Border Pass – It is 3 a.m. and it is cold. Our cramped sleeping bus en route back to Hanoi has come to a full stop, along with other buses that drove
By Lorie Ann Cascaro and Jesse Pizarro Boga HUE CITY, Vietnam (MindaNews / 13 Feb) – Our journey to Hue from nearby city Danang in Central Vietnam had us go through a mandatory discomfort in a small, cramped bus (and
ALAMADA, North Cotabato (MindaNews/08 February) – Hidden by the rugged terrain of Barangay Dado is a towering falls whose water cascades through a river between deep ravines all the way to the famous Asik-asik Falls. Compared to Asik-asik, however, Daday
By Lorie Ann Cascaro and Jesse Pizarro Boga HOI-AN, Vietnam (MindaNews / 5 Feb) – The road to Hoi An, a small city in Central Vietnam, was literally long and winding. From the south, we took the train to Danang
HO CHI MINH CITY, Viet Nam (MindaNews/3 February) — The towering buildings, bars, tour agencies, and hostels lined up like sentries can give visitors the impression that Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon), is a place ahead of every
KABACAN, North Cotabato (MindaNews/28 January) – It was almost 14 years ago yet when I started hearing about the caves in Pisan, a remote village in this town. And when I was in college at the University of Southern Mindanao
VIENTIANE, Laos (MindaNews/24 Dec.) — In a small country where majority are Buddhists, Christmas is definitely not elusive. Back in my home the Philippines, Davao City is already teeming with Christmas decorations. The façade of the city hall, for example,
LUANG PRABANG, Laos (MindaNews/11 Dec.) — Despite the lack of venues to show movies on big screens, Lao filmmakers are striving to produce features and documentary films and build links with counterparts from neighboring countries in an effort to improve
The Republic of Korea has become a tourist destination for Lao people who want to see and experience being in a megacity as they indulge in Korean pop culture. By Lorie Ann Cascaro SEOUL, Republic of Korea (MindaNews/20 November) —
Text and photos by Jesse Pizarro Boga HANOI, Vietnam (MindaNews/21 September)–Somewhere at the end of Hoang Quoc Viet Road and Buoi Street, bus 14 makes a long winding turn before it can reach the bus stop in Hoang Hoa Tham
VIENTIANE, Laos (MindaNews / 6 Sept) – It’s 5 p.m. here in the prefecture. In Vientiane Times newsroom, journalists take off work one after another, leaving the editors and layout artists to close pages of the paper. A few of
TEXTS AND PHOTOS by Jesse Pizarro Boga HANOI, Vietnam (MindaNews/05 September) — It was 5 a.m. when my alarm went off. My lazy Filipino butt was glued to my bed when I heard a soft knock on my door. “Jesse?”
One year after the government closed the bars and put an end to drug outlets in Vangvieng, the village is struggling to get back to business. We spent a weekend. It’s past midnight and the “jungle party” is in full swing. Maybe
BEING involved in a project in the southern part of Bukidnon and staying in the area for a few weeks, among my first concerns was to find a place to run, just like what other running addicts would do. The
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/02 July) — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is investing some P30 million this year for the development of various tourism-related infrastructure in Tupi town in South Cotabato. South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said such investment is
VIENTIANE, Laos (MindaNews/11 June) — A plateful of raw mint, basil leaves, cabbage, sliced string beans and lime was served on my table ahead of the rice noodle (feu) soup that I ordered. Then small bowls of raw bean sprouts
