The journey of a dream

THE first question I asked the first tricycle driver I saw after my five hour bus ride from Baguio City to Pinili, Ilocos Norte was “Manong, where can we find Barangay Pugaoan?”

He was quite hesitant to answer me with a facial expression of confusion while checking us out in our outfits (backpack, sunglasses, shorts and rubber shoes). So upon waiting for his response I made a quick assessment of the town. At first sight it’s just as ordinary as the other towns I have been to - fields of garlic.

Kapurpurawan Rock Formations: A Jewel in the North

WITH the active and smart leadership of Governor Imee Marcos Ilocos Norte’s tourism is booming with of course the dedication of the government officials.

The Ilocos Norte Provincial Tourism Office (INPTO) said since the launch of the province’s tourism brand Paoay Kumakaway (Paoay beckons) in 2011, tourist arrival rate has been steadily increasing from average 0f 200,000 annual tourist arrivals to more than 600,000.

Bonding with dolphins

NOTHING can equal the happiness when you get to immerse yourself in the great wonders of nature and interact with the other living creatures the earth nurtures, be they on land or sea.

That, perhaps, is the reason why travelers are growing in number nowadays. To explore our very own country gives them an ecstatic joy, a priceless consolation for those who wish to know more of the 7,100 islands that the Philippine archipelago boasts about.

Octogenarians race to be oldest Everest climber

KATMANDU, Nepal — An 80-year-old Japanese extreme skier who climbed Mount Everest five years ago, but just missed becoming the oldest man to reach the summit, was back on the mountain Wednesday to make another attempt at the title.

Bad Breath: Shut your mouth

FOR many centuries bad breath has torn thousands of relationships apart and drove many people to a life of solitude. With the advent of hundreds of products dedicated to mouth care – from toothpaste to mouthwashes – it remains to be a wonder why bad breath continues to run rampant in this modern age.

Green grass of hope (First of two parts)

BAMBOO, the world's tallest grass and member of the family that also includes rice and corn, can help boost the country's economy and also sustain the income of those who plant it.

The quick Singaporean fix

CRAVING. It can be difficult to address sometimes. Luckily, almost anything is available in the city today. If you’re acting up like a pregnant woman wanting to scratch a distinct itch in your palate, all you have to do is Google it, or better yet, ask your ever-reliable BFF foodie.

Travel tales 2013

REFRESHED and rejuvenated from their summer vacation, seven families share how they spent their much-deserved break.

These are their travel tales for 2013!

CNN features Cecilia Oebanda (Visayan Forum), Manny Pacquiao

FOLLOWING a two-year CNN investigation, the two-hour documentary “The Fighters” chronicles Philippine human rights pioneer Cecilia Flores-Oebanda in her journey to protect children from the sex trade and convince the Philippines' biggest star, Manny Pacquiao, to join her as a fighter in the battle against modern-day slavery.

Google boosts photo offerings to rival Facebook

SAN FRANCISCO — Google is digging deeper into its technology toolkit to turn its social networking service into a more formidable threat to Facebook, sprucing up its photo features at a time when sharing snapshots online and on mobile gadgets is growing more popular.

Sprucing up sense of style

MODELS strutting down the runway clad in fashionable, hippy, and snazzy outfits graced the activity center of Abreeza Ayala Mall last May 11.

Style Origin Fashion Show put together the metropolis' finest teen and kid models who took centerstage in fashionable clothes, bags, and pair of quality shoes, specially created by today's popular clothing brands.

Award-winning graduate among Metrobank Foundation's scholars

JOHN Arden Orata, an award-winning BS Electronics and Communication Engineering graduate from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, led the 13 Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI)-Boysen scholars who were recognized at the 15th Graduates’ Forum held recently at the Metrobank Plaza.

Modern way to aid gynecological woes

WOMEN who suffer from ovarian cyst won't have to worry much for its safe and scarless removal as a group of well-trained obstetrician-gynecologists from Davao Doctors Hospital now offers a modern procedure that can remove cyst in no time.

Staying true to its promise of giving more advanced and safer medical care, the hospital has brought Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy closer to women who have gynecologic problems.

Embracing fashion at Terranova

LOOKING for fashionable apparel and accessories? Try visiting Terranova at SM Lanang Premier.

The popular Italian clothing line opened its second store in Davao City last month and presented a wide array of spring and summer collection during the momentous occasion.

Six things to do while in Albay

ALBAY province rests in the heart of the Bicol region and has a fair share of the country's Pacific coastline, and is blessed with mountains and lush terrain making it an ideal tourist destination during summer for local and foreign tourists.

A visit to this beautiful province is ideally done on day tours. A well-planned trip would surely make your visit to this place a memorable experience. Here are top six things to do while you are in this majestic province.

Natonin folks benefit from UB medical mission

CARING for the "kababayans" can be shown in any ways. This has proven once again, by the University of Baguio, through the initiative of the adopted son of Natonin, Dr. Reynaldo "Hara" Bautista, in cooperation with the Fernando-Rosa Bautista Foundation (FRB), and the Rural Bank of Itogon (RBI) as they reached out and offered free health care and other services to residents of three barangays of Natonin, Mt. Province, on April 23 to 25, 2013. Sponsoring a medical mission and scholarship exams are only some of the regular programs he initiated.

iPhoneography: Tips

BY NOW, you might have already guessed that I’m a photographer (you can check out my site at www.roarkmasbad.com) and in the months since December, my primary “camera” has been my iPhone 4s. Why not a dSLR or a point & shoot camera? Because the iPhone 4s is always in my pocket and I take it with me everywhere.

Getting lost in the seaside town of Sto. Domingo

IT’S EASY to get lost in thought in the quaint sleepy town of Sto. Domingo, for it boasts of black sand beaches, rustic views of the sea and an old town square reminiscent of its Spanish colonial heritage.

I visited the town on my way to Bacacay town, for more black sand beaches, in the early part of the morning from Legaspi City. The trip was less than 30 minutes on those ordinary buses plying the route to Tabaco City.

Value for money (and it's Japanese!)

I'VE often passed by the area, but always on the way somewhere. But Friday night, we finally got the chance to try it, and we went home happy. If you’re into Japanese food, this is one Japanese restaurant you just have to give a try. First, it’s not expensive. Second, it’s good.

The place is named Daidokoro Diner. It’s along the end part of Jacinto Extension very near Bioessence along Circumferential Road and not the Sutherland end of Jacinto Extension.

New blooms, veggies and more debuting for 2013

WHOEVER believes there's nothing new under the sun hasn't seen the plants being introduced for the 2013 gardening season.

Lizada: The source

"A person can only give you as much love as they found within themselves." ~Daniel Chidiac

YOU can only give what is in your heart. You cannot give what is not present in your heart. It is that simple. You wonder why there are cruel people? Simple. They have cruelty to give and nothing else. You ask why there are so many liars? Simple. They know nothing but lies. You scratch your head about hypocrites? Easy, they only know hypocrisy. You can only give what your heart knows. And has.

Koreans on voluntourism

A BUZZ word in the tourism industry, voluntourism has captured the interest of many travelers. It is the benefit of traveling which includes volunteering for a charitable cause. In recent years, volunteer vacations have grown in popularity.

Perrenials’ bloom continue to thrive in burgeoning city

PERENNIAL flowers in the likes of bougainvillea, hibiscus, and African tulip are keeping afloat Baguio’s endangered, if not former, status as the country’s flower city.

The annuals, which go from seed to bloom and back to seed in one growing season or cycle in Baguio’s temperate climate like snapdragon, zinnia, peas, marigold and others, are vanishing with the gardens they used to grow in.

Where children find a haven

“KABATAAN ang pagasa ng bayan.” This quote, first spoken by our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, has been passed on from generation to generation. It has inspired a lot of individuals, especially the young ones. But what if at a young age, a child was left standing alone? Would he still be part of that tag?

I participated in a community outreach project organized by our team, composed of more than 20 Mass Communication students from the University of the Cordilleras. This time, our group was assigned to RRCY Wangal, La Trinidad. It’s a shelter for abandoned children.

Cat@lyst launched for social change

BE THE start. Lead the change.

40 @ 40

"I'm not 40. I’m 18 with 22 years experience."

This statement cracked me up when I read it on the internet and I immediately shared it to my Facebook friends.

Family feuds in Davao Sur

THE same family names seek for positions of power in Davao del Sur as it had before: Cagas and Bautista.

But the Cagases are shuffling themselves around.

New Dell Latitude Laptop Delivers Superb Security, Manageability and Productivity for Schools

DELL today launched the Latitude 3330, designed to help schools and educators teach tomorrow’s leaders while providing excellent value school districts. The new laptop offers the robust computing features required to maximize learning productivity, compatibility with Dell’s existing solutions and services for education and support for personalized learning opportunities in the classroom.

SM reaches out to Dabawenyos

SM Foundation, Inc. (SMFI), with the support of SM Lanang Premier, conducted last April 24-25 a medical and dental mission to serve the needy communities.

The two-day event dubbed "Gamot para sa Kapwa" held at the mall's basement parking area provided free medical and dental services to a total of 2,108 Dabawenyos. Beneficiaries were less fortunate families, senior citizens and Philippine war veterans in communities near Lanang such as Agdao, Sasa, R. Castillo, and Ubalde.

Davao bowlers conquer youth games

DAVAOENO bowlers seem to have enjoyed a hometown advantage over visiting players. Davao City's very own bowlers are in abundance in the list of top players in the games played in Dover Lanes last April 29, the opening day of the 36th FEDBOP Annual National Duckpin Bowling Championship.

For the youth categories, Edmark Ventic of Tagum's Daproba topped the 7-9 male age group, racking up 179 points. Two Davaoeño bowlers secured the two following spots, however, with Roy Cabael and Homer Amsirabi both of Davao's Daciba scoring 155 and 148 respectively.