Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - attracting investors from all over Asia and the world.
Come meet your
favorite super heroes and mega robots brought to life by SM City Santa Rosa in the thrilling "Toy Fusion" event, happening every day January 6-15, 2012 at the Activity Grounds near SM Supermarket!
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THE UNITED KINGDOM BACKS THE PHILIPPINES
ENGLAND IS THE HOME OF MODERN FOOTBALL (AKA SOCCER), AND BRITISH AMBASSADOR STEPHEN LILLIE, speaking from the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Manila, gives a strong thumbs up to doing business in the Philippines. To avoid confusion, England is part of Great Britain which is part of the United Kingdom which is part of the European Union.
Therefore with reference to the 2011 Royal Wedding, Prince William and Princess Catherine are now second in line to be King and Queen of the United Kingdom - but not of the European Union, although millions of Europeans have publicly expressed the opinion that 'Will & Kate' also belong to them, as Will's ancestors came to Britain from from Germany and they have branches all over Europe.
Stephen Lillie does not discuss this issue and states that the Philippine population of 92 million makes us the 3rd English-speaking country of the world. He goes on to praise the international success of Philippine call-centers, whose clients include British blue-chip companies such as Shell, HKBC, and the Financial Times.
He says that our battle against corruption is being won, and the presence of more than 200 major British companies here signifies clearly that now is an excellent time for British and other European companies to invest in the Philippines.
Enthusiastic about the developing popularity of Filipino football and the inspiring progress of the Philippine Askals, most Englishmen everywhere look forward to seeing them qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and they also hope that before then Filipino sports fans will join them in visiting the 2012 Olympics in London.
Welcome to Santa
Rosa Magazine - the accessible open e-magazine of Santa Rosa City,
Laguna, Philippines. No payment, no registration, no login required.
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Forget the negative attitudes of stick-in-the-mud critics and do a Google search to see the creativity of Filipinos who have posted on the internet their own versions of DOT's inspiring
new tourism slogan. Who cares what the Swiss did in 1951? They didn't invent the English
language and they didn't coin the "it's more fun" phrase. Positive-thinking Filipinos like the
new slogan and are having lots of fun proving the truth in it. DOT deserves congratulations!
(See Angel Tugado's comments on our Opinion page.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO GWENDOLINE RUAIS FROM MUNTINLUPA!
Her second place at the Miss World beauty pageant in London has only ever been achieved
once before by a Filipina. Read the story
and see more photos on our Opinion
page.
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Congratulations to Miss Universe 2011 above, Leila Lopes from Angola,
and to our own Shamcey Supsup, who was placed 3rd Runner Up,
one position higher than Venus Raj last year. Editorial photo courtesy of Miss Universe Organization. (More...)
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BEWARE!!! BEWARE!!!
"FUN TOUR" PROMOS
OF CEBU PACIFIC AIR
CEBU PACIFIC'S ONLINE CHEAP FLIGHT PROMOS ARE GENERALLY FINE BUT IF YOU BOOK A "FUN TOUR" PACKAGE TO INCLUDE A HOTEL STAY, YOUR TRIP CAN BECOME A NIGHTMARE.
Some friends of mine booked a 5 day 4 night "Fun Tour" with Cebu Pacific and paid in full online 3 months in advance including the 4 night stay at a hotel chosen from the recommended list on the Cebu Pacific website.
Before their trip, on searching for the hotel's website to print out a location map, they discovered to their astonishment that the hotel had closed down almost 2 weeks previously, yet no word of this had been communicated to them by Cebu Pacific.
Then came the serious problem with CP's online bookings: contacting anyone about them is almost impossible. Their website gives no email address. Just "Hotline" telephone numbers in Manila and Cebu that are permanently busy.
My friends spent nearly a whole day repeatedly dialling before at last getting through. But these "Hotlines" are not to Cebu Pacific. They are to a Call Center with the function of filtering, taking notes, and passing queries to a supervisor who decides whether or not to pass them on to Cebu Pacific. It's a slow, laborious, frustrating, inconvenient, costly (you're paying for phone call) process.
In this case my friends' message was considered serious enough to pass on, and some hours later they received a call from Cebu Pacific saying they had contacted the destination hotel which informed them it had only been closed for a single day and there was no problem with it.
My friends questioned this because it contradicted the notice on the hotel's own official website, and were asked to hold while Cebu Pacific double-checked. The caller, who gave no name or direct line for future contact, returned to say the hotel had confirmed it was open and there would be no problem. "Just go there." So they did.
"Fun Tour" was Nightmare Trip for vacationers who booked Cebu Pacific online promo.
Upon late night arrival at the destination airport and clearance through immigration and customs, they encountered another regular difficulty with "Fun Tour" promos. No transportation to hotel is included. After trying unsuccessfully to find a bus going in the right direction, they were finally forced to take a taxi, which cost them as much as a night at the hotel, which they reached at about 2am.
When they got there, the door was open but the reception desk was unattended. Calling out and knocking on the counter a few times eventually resulted in the appearance of someone clearly irritated at being disturbed. She looked at the reservation details on the Cebu Pacific e-ticket, brought a man out from inside and told my friends to follow him.
The man, whose manner was equally disinterested and offhand, made no attempt to help carry their baggage and walked out of the hotel into the street, where it had started to rain. Carrying their own baggage and struggling to keep up, my friends followed him in the rain through narrow dimly lit streets, then up some stairs, through an empty building, down the stairs on the other side and further along another dark and wet street to end up at a different hotel.
This hotel was part of the same group of budget hotels, but it was not the one my friends had chosen and did not provide the same room facilities. The hotel receptionist was aggressively rude on being questioned about the one they had booked, confirming that it had permanently closed and adding that if my friends did not like this one they could get out and go somewhere else.
They pointed out that they had paid for 4 nights in advance, had already lost half of the first night, and asked if they could get their money back. The receptionist replied that they had paid the owner, not him, and there would be no refund if they did not stay there. He then demanded a substantial deposit for the room key, although no such deposit was mentioned on the Cebu Pacific website.
The Cebu Pacific e-ticket shows 4 nights' stay with checkout on Friday September 30.
By then it was too late and my friends were too tired to search for another hotel, and without refund they did not have enough spare cash to pay another hotel for the same 4 nights they had already paid Cebu Pacific for. Reluctantly they paid the room key deposit and stayed there 4 nights.
On the positive side, next morning their included American breakfast was fine, and the hotel's eatery staff were efficient and friendly. When they wandered out to walk around, they found that the location was in a tourist area largely frequented by backpackers so there was plenty of cheap transportation for sightseeing and a pickup point nearby for the airport shuttle bus.
However, my friends' "Fun Tour" package vacation nightmare was by no means over. The worst part was yet to come...
- Edu Garcia (Story of Cebu Pacific customers' ongoing nightmare to be continued.)
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L to R: 1st Runner Up (Lithuania), Winner Danica (Philippines), 2nd Runner Up (Poland)
CONGRATULATIONS TO FILIPINA DANICA FLORES MAGPANTAY ON WINNING THE TITLE OF FORD "SUPERMODEL OF THE WORLD" 2011!
Danica Magpantay, a 17 year old Fine Arts student at the University of the Philippines, won the title Ford Supermodel of the World 2011 at the annual contest held in New York, beating contestants from over 50 countries and thereby gaining a $250,000 modeling contract. At 5'9" and 109 lbs, Danica has the perfect physique for a career on the international catwalk. She trains hard to keep in shape and her ambition is to be a top model for Victoria's Secret.
Another deserved worldwide success for another beautiful Filipina!
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CONGRATULATIONS ALSO TO
LI NA - FIRST ASIAN TO REACH A GRAND SLAM TENNIS FINAL
The very popular Chinese tennis player Li Na defeated former world and Olympic champion Venus Williams to reach the 2011 Australian Open Women's Final at the Rod Laver Arena
in Melbourne. Every year this is the first of the four top tournaments in professional tennis, dubbed Grand Slams. The other three are the French Open (Paris), Wimbledon (London)
and the US Open (New York). Although beaten in the final by Kim Clijsters of Belgium, Li was thrilled at her own achievement as the first Asian to be there and delightedly wished all the international tennis fans who packed the impressive arena a Happy Chinese New Year.
Li Na is always happy, always smiling, and always popular with tennis fans!
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WOMEN INSPIRING
THE WORLD
Women from around the globe are making a big difference to the whole world
and taking lead roles in finding ways to make it a better place for everyone. Click here to read more and see the videos
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PEOPLE AND NATIONS CHANGE FASTER THAN SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS EVER PREDICTED
We all know that airplanes, submarines, space travel, cell phones, holograms, transplants, cloning, foods in tablet form and many other things were described in science fiction long before they became reality. Even present day security cameras and television's Big Brother show were spawned by the SF novel "1984" written by George Orwell and first published in 1949. New ideas and discoveries are now communicated so widely and rapidly in what is often dubbed the Information Age that scientific developments are overtaking fiction in the current real-life race to create a modern real-world utopian society. Click here to read more and see the videos
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VIDEO GAMES ARE GOOD FOR YOU (AND FOR OUR PLANET'S PROGRESS)
Far from their earlier image of fantasies that wasted kids' time and money,
video games are now acknowledged as a powerful force for improving the
real world we live in. Here's a selection of innovative thinkers and
doers who will open your minds to amazing new possibilities. Click here to read more and see the videos
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History and culture of Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines were lovingly revived with colorful displays and entertainments in the "My City My SM" event at SM City mall. (Read more:)
There's no live theater in Sta. Rosa yet, but the Insular Life Theater at nearby Alabang
features productions by the talented and popular drama group Theater Down South.
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Domestic Travel
FLOWER ISLAND BEACH RESORT
You already know about Palawan's Underground River near Puerto Princesa, which is one of 28 finalists for the world's official new New Seven Wonders of Nature to be declared in 2011, so if you haven't yet voted for it go to ... and vote now!
Main house on the seafront - your point of arrival.
FLY from Manila to Iloilo City after arranging to be picked up by boat, and then savour the turquoise sea and bracing air to wind yourself down in preparation for what is to come. An hour or so later you are landing at Baras Beach Resort on Guimaras Island.
This is when your lifestyle changes. In a cottage overlooking the bay you can enjoy a simpler, more natural, way of living - as relaxed or as active as you choose.
The clifftop cottages overlook the bay.
Cottages are kubo style within a reinforced concrete structure, raised above the rocky ground and approached along picturesquely landscaped footpaths. Each has a modern tiled ensuite bathroom and is cooled by ample through-ventilation augmented with fans. There's no air conditioning, but you'll discover that you never miss it. The cool sea breeze feels so good, and you know that real fresh air is healthier anyway.
Cottages have everything you need, but you'll spend most of your time in the open air.
Talking of freshness and health, let's not forget food. 5-star city hotels may employ top gourmet chefs, but ingredients have to be either bought in local markets or transported from wherever they are grown or caught. Of necessity in the Philippine climate many of them must be frozen and microwaved.
Not so at Baras Beach Resort. Here their guarantee is: "All our food is fresh, most of it grown or caught by ourselves. Absolutely nothing is frozen or microwaved."
Family-style dinner.
To taste is to believe. When fish, pork, vegetables and fruits are so fresh and delicious in themselves, who needs to tinker with them by following a complicated "celebrity TV chef" recipe that requires a studio kitchen fitted out with the world's most expensive professional stoves and gadgets?
Simple home cooking brings out the best of nature's own flavors, and BBR's chefs are especially accomplished in producing native filipino and malaysian dishes that will get your taste buds dancing with joy.
Food and drinks are available 24 hours a day.
Daily activities are as exciting and varied as you could ever wish for. Canoeing, power boating, sailing, rowing, swimming, snorkeling, billiards, table tennis, pool, darts, basketball, volleyball, visits to nearby places of interest, or just chilling out under shade on the beach in peaceful relaxation with a cold drink and a good book.
"Orion", one of the resort's boats, is a sturdy wooden outrigger.
There are 10 cottages ranging from 800 pesos to 1500 pesos per night. All meals are extra, for example a light breakfast is 125 pesos and a buffet lunch is 250 pesos. Local and imported drinks are reasonably priced and the beer is always cold.
But what makes Baras Beach Resort something really special to relish and remember is that Baby Nones-Araneta and his relatives run it in such a welcoming and friendly way that you feel you are one of the family. This has created a uniquely Filipino retreat, yet whatever your nationality, it's like a home from home.
The best way to contact the resort is to call Baby Nones-Araneta on his cell phone: +63 927 480 1027 or call the Baras Beach Resort landline: +63 33 338 2249.
The resort's friendly "home from home" ambience is something you'll always remember.
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BARAS BEACH RESORT
If you would like a Philippine vacation somewhere quieter and less crowded than Boracay, there are many great resorts to choose from in every price range. Al Collins reviews a small and affordable resort on Guimaras Island, Iloilo.
Main house on the seafront - your point of arrival.
FLY from Manila to Iloilo City after arranging to be picked up by boat, and then savour the turquoise sea and bracing air to wind yourself down in preparation for what is to come. An hour or so later you are landing at Baras Beach Resort on Guimaras Island.
This is when your lifestyle changes. In a cottage overlooking the bay you can enjoy a simpler, more natural, way of living - as relaxed or as active as you choose.
The clifftop cottages overlook the bay.
Cottages are kubo style within a reinforced concrete structure, raised above the rocky ground and approached along picturesquely landscaped footpaths. Each has a modern tiled ensuite bathroom and is cooled by ample through-ventilation augmented with fans. There's no air conditioning, but you'll discover that you never miss it. The cool sea breeze feels so good, and you know that real fresh air is healthier anyway.
Cottages have everything you need, but you'll spend most of your time in the open air.
Talking of freshness and health, let's not forget food. 5-star city hotels may employ top gourmet chefs, but ingredients have to be either bought in local markets or transported from wherever they are grown or caught. Of necessity in the Philippine climate many of them must be frozen and microwaved.
Not so at Baras Beach Resort. Here their guarantee is: "All our food is fresh, most of it grown or caught by ourselves. Absolutely nothing is frozen or microwaved."
Family-style dinner.
To taste is to believe. When fish, pork, vegetables and fruits are so fresh and delicious in themselves, who needs to tinker with them by following a complicated "celebrity TV chef" recipe that requires a studio kitchen fitted out with the world's most expensive professional stoves and gadgets?
Simple home cooking brings out the best of nature's own flavors, and BBR's chefs are especially accomplished in producing native filipino and malaysian dishes that will get your taste buds dancing with joy.
Food and drinks are available 24 hours a day.
Daily activities are as exciting and varied as you could ever wish for. Canoeing, power boating, sailing, rowing, swimming, snorkeling, billiards, table tennis, pool, darts, basketball, volleyball, visits to nearby places of interest, or just chilling out under shade on the beach in peaceful relaxation with a cold drink and a good book.
"Orion", one of the resort's boats, is a sturdy wooden outrigger.
There are 10 cottages ranging from 800 pesos to 1500 pesos per night. All meals are extra, for example a light breakfast is 125 pesos and a buffet lunch is 250 pesos. Local and imported drinks are reasonably priced and the beer is always cold.
But what makes Baras Beach Resort something really special to relish and remember is that Baby Nones-Araneta and his relatives run it in such a welcoming and friendly way that you feel you are one of the family. This has created a uniquely Filipino retreat, yet whatever your nationality, it's like a home from home.
The best way to contact the resort is to call Baby Nones-Araneta on his cell phone: +63 927 480 1027 or call the Baras Beach Resort landline: +63 33 338 2249.
The resort's friendly "home from home" ambience is something you'll always remember.
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Globe continues to lead the way in Sta. Rosa with its innovative customizable broadband.
Our best wishes for success go out to Miss Philippines, Shamcey Supsup,
pictured here in Brazil for the 2011 Miss Universe contest and pageant.
(Editorial photo courtesy of Miss Universe Organization.)
We highly recommend that you visit the official City Government Website frequently.
