Mindanaoan Irene, Author at Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Dec32018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

3 best reasons why you need to treat yourself with Native Shoes

Consumer, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Style

I like recommending products that I personally buy and wear. One of the brands that I have grown to trust and love is Native Shoes. I have written about them first here and then here plus I post several photos of me wearing my Native Shoes just about anywhere. In fact, I wore them the first time I went to Taiwan then during my trips back to Malaysia and Singapore with the rest of my family. I also brought my favorite Native Shoes pair to New York! Just recently, I ordered two new pairs and I can't wait to receive them in the mail. Back in Cagayan de Oro, Native Shoes (located at the 2nd Floor of Centrio Mall) launched its newest collection a few days ago. And trust me --- you need to check it out! Here are 3 amazing reasons why you must treat yourself with a new pair (or two or three...

Nov222018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

The fun Cirque de Globe CDO Globe Telecom party and my very special prize

Blogging, Cagayan de Oro City, Contests, Entertainment, Events, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Society, Technology

I haven't written about it yet (although if you do follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you'd have an idea) but, yes, I went home to the Philippines for about 3 weeks. It was a long-awaited, much-needed trip not only because I had to have my new US work visa stamped on my passport (let me know in the comments section if you want me to write about this, by the way!) but also because I have deeply missed my family, relatives, friends, clients (YASSS) and fellow bloggers! My trip was apparently very timely. Globe Telecom wanted to hold their media and bloggers appreciation party pretty early this year (they usually send out invitations either end of November or December) and the date fell on one of my "relax/chill" days. The theme of the party was "circus" and there was supposed to...

Nov142018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

How I keep 90 cans of soda, beer (and wine bottles) deliciously COLD

Freebies, Gifts, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Shopping

This is something I've been SUPER excited to share with all of you before my big mini vacation trip back to the Philippines. Alas, that trip kept me so busy that I knew I could only break the good news once I'm back in New York. Anyhoo...here it is: I finally have the sleek, black NewAir AB-850 beverage fridge! AAHHH!!! :D This means I can now keep up to 90 cans of my favorite sodas and beers as well as lots of water and wine bottles all deliciously cold, conveniently all at the same time inside a very compact cooler/refrigerator. The NewAir AB-850B Black 90-Can Beverage/Beer Fridge is so compact it can actually fit almost anywhere. At home, I keep mine, not at the kitchen, but actually at a place accessible from both the living room and the dining area. This way, there's no need...

Oct72018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

The Ultimate Germany Food Guide Bound To Satisfy True Foodies’ Taste Buds

Food, Restaurant

One of the best parts about traveling is getting to experience foods of a different culture. That said, the more touristy destinations tend to downplay their dishes to meet the palate of the masses. If you're a true foodie, your taste buds are far more mature than most and thereby deserve foods that are rich in German flavors and accents. Use this Germany food guide to help you find establishments that serve up such fare. The Table Kevin Fehling, Hamburg This restaurant has three Michelin stars, each of which it earned in its very first year, a testament to its quality. Named after the 39-year-old Chef Kevin Fehling, this restaurant and its founder may be young but its atmosphere and modern European cuisine are for the mature. Diners can enjoy a night of exclusivity at the single, windin...

Sep172018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

The Big S&R Members’ Treat Is Here! September 26 to 30, 2018 (list of sale items here!)

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Society

It's our favorite time of the year! The S&R Members' Treat is always the perfect time to hoard, look for gifts and even prepare for Christmas! The S&R Membership Shopping Members’ Treat means amazing buy 1, take 1 offers as well as up to 50 percent discounts. Lots of great deals guaranteed! ALL S&R branches nationwide will participate. That means that aside from S&R Cagayan de Oro, all these other branches will join the amazing S&R Members' Treat 2018: Alabang • Aseana • BGC • Commonwealth • Congressional • Parañaque • Shaw • Cabanatuan • Imus • Nuvali • Pampanga • Dau • Cebu • Iloilo • CDO • Davao This is truly the perfect time for you to stock up on all your favorite health and beauty products, imported snacks, imported grocery items, imported ice cream, froz...

Sep162018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

CDO travel agency opens office within downtown hotel

Announcements, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Travel

What is the best travel agency in Cagayan de Oro? How would you know if it is the top travel agency in CDO? These are usually the questions we ask when we need to look for a reliable travel agency. Here's mighty good news! A travel services agency in Cagayan de Oro is set to open its brick and mortar office within a popular downtown hotel, making its services more accessible for tourists and guests in what is considered the conference capital of the Philippines and home of world-class white water river rafting. From being a home-based business, Aera Global Travel CDO is set to open its office doors on September 18, 2018 at The Pacifico Boutique Hotel, located along Velez corner Fernandez Streets. Aside from its super spacious rooms, modern facilities as well as being home to the city...

Aug312018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Look at these handmade arm candies fit for lovers of the sea

Beauty, Fashion, Shopping, Style

I am a self-proclaimed beach baby. Everything that has anything to do with the sea, surf, sand, sun gets my attention. Truth be told, one of my goals in life is to own a nice, cozy beach house and live by the beach again. I say again because for several years, my family and I lived along the shore in Davao City. Those were simple but very happy years. So when these lovely handmade nautical bracelets were sent my way, I knew I found my new favorites! Not only are these Wind Passion handmade bracelets certified arm candies, they're also great reminders of the fondest of times in my life and in my family's life. Wind Passion nautical bracelets are handmade, definitely eye-catching, comes in many colors and designs and are made of top quality, durable cord and other marine materials ...

Aug252018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

I Joined A Sex and the City Tour in New York

America, Fashion, Features, New York, Tourism, United States of America

“And there, in the same city where they met as girls, four New York women entered the next phase of their lives…dressed head to toe in love. And that’s the one label that never goes out of style.” - Carrie Bradshaw Does this sound familiar? I actually used that in a previous blog post! Now, I'm using it again because this time, I just didn't visit the apartment of Carrie Bradshaw, I got to tour other Sex and the City hotspots! Hi and hello, fellow Sex and the City fans! Would you believe that our favorite SATC series is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year? Sex and the City first aired on June 6, 1998 --- time flies so fast my, sadly, non-Manolo Blahnik shoes can't keep up. I can't help but wonder --- how many of you still watch old Sex and the City episodes? Can you sti...

Aug222018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Higalaay Festival CDO fiesta 2018 schedule of activities

Cagayan de Oro City, Festivals, Fiesta, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Tourism, Travel

I may miss it this year since I'm still in New York, USA but I know that a lot of you will have a good time celebrating Higalaay Festival 2018 in Cagayan de Oro. Higalaay Festival a.k.a. the yearly CDO fiesta a.k.a. celebrating the Feast Day of St. Augustine a.k.a. the celebration that used to be known as Kagay-an Festival. Here, you'll find the official schedule of activities. Do you need help booking your airplane tickets or hotel rooms? I highly recommend Aera Global Travel Services CDO for warm, personalized customer service. They will help you fix any trip anywhere in the world and make it easy and hassle-free. Aera Global Travel CDO offers value-for-money travel packages and they also specialize in quick and efficient airline ticketing and hotel booking. CALL: 0917 525 5564 or 094...

Aug42018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Mindanao’s largest drug addiction rehab and mental health center opens in Bukidnon

Advocacy, Bukidnon, Malaybalay City, Mindanaoan Update, Society

It's finally open. The Php 500 Million (roughly US$10 Million) drug rehab, addiction treatment and mental health center which I first wrote about early last year is finally open and no less than Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte led the formal rites held last August 3, 2018. The Northern Mindanao Wellness and Reintegration Center is located at Barangay Casisang, Malaybalay City. Malaybalay is the capital of Bukidnon and is about an hour and a half away from Cagayan de Oro and 5 hours away from Davao City. This Bukidnon drug rehab is a product of a public and private partnership. The 5-hectare land along Diversion Road where the addiction treatment and mental health center sits on was donated by the City Government of Malaybalay and the amount was donated by the Friends of the Phil...

Jul112018 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

How to shop at S&R CDO without a membership card and get a FREE coupon

Announcements, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Corporate, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping

Not a member of S&R CDO yet? If you aren't an S&R Membership Shopping Cagayan de Oro club member yet, you now have the chance to shop to your heart's content for 3 amazing days PLUS get a FREE gift certificate, too! From July 12 to 15, 2018, S&R CDO will hold its most awaited Open House! This means that even non-members or non-cardholders can shop at S&R on those days from 8 AM to 10 PM. This is the perfect opportunity for you to check out what S&R has to offer and why everyone just loves to shop there. I should know...I frequent S&R to buy my favorite imported goods, small appliances, fresh meat (fast fact: did you know that their meat preparation area is refrigerated 40 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain rigid temperatures?) and even local products. The S...

Jul102018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

What to Do In and Around Birmingham

Mindanaoan Update

Birmingham is the most populated city in the state of Alabama, and it has a history dating back to the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era. It’s one of the larger cities in the south, and it surprisingly has some pretty interesting attractions and things to do, whether you’re planning to visit the city or you live there, and you’d like to come up with new activities. The following are some things to do in an around Birmingham. Rock the South According to RV rental site Outdoorsy, Birmingham is home to the Rock the South Music Festival. They describe the event as one of the “biggest annual draws to the area.” It is located in Cullman, which is only about 50 miles from central Birmingham. The event started out as a way to raise money for victims of a tornado, but now it’s a huge countr...

Jul62018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Fifty indigenous families to be affected by Bukidnon airport project

Bukidnon, Culture, Society

Some 50 Indigenous People (IP) families will apparently be affected by the Bukidnon airport project. And in exchange for pulling them out of the area in Don Carlos, Bukidnon, where the airport will be, they will be given Php 5 Million. This would mean that each indigenous family will receive Php 100,000. Which makes me think --- is Php 100,000 enough? Granted that the families themselves, led by Datu Teodoro Andil of the Unified Ancestral Domain of Manobo Kirenteken, reportedly asked for the Php 5 Million, is this just? Is this fair? Have other government agencies and NGOs perhaps helped them figure out if this amount can help them long-term? The Php 5 Million will reportedly be used to purchase a 50-hectare relocation site in Pangantucan. Fifty homes will be built there, one for ...

Jun242018 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Starting a new blog – see you there!

America, Blogging, Technology, United States of America

Hi, friends! I'll make this short and sweet. This is all still a work in progress but I do hope that you accept my invitation to please check out my new blog - Lifestyle + Travels. And before someone asks - NO, I won't abandon Mindanaoan.com. Most definitely not! The Lifestyle + Travels blog is a new passion project that will be more about my international escapades, (mis)adventures especially here in New York, USA (my new home!), product reviews, celebrity encounters and interviews (woohoo!), event coverages around the world and more for a global audience as opposed to Mindanaoan that oftentimes still focuses on Philippine-centric issues. I have a lot of really great plans for my new blog (including more vlogs!) so please do check it out. I would also be super grateful if you can su...

Jun242018 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Mindanaoan.com lands on Top 30 New York Blogs list

America, Announcements, Blogging, Features, Mindanaoan Update, New York, Style, Travel, United States of America

I'm very excited to share with all of you that this humble blog, Mindanaoan.com, has landed on the number 6 spot in a coveted “Top New York Blogs To Follow” list. Mindanaoan.com was declared among The Big Apple’s best when my travel and lifestyle blog nabbed the number 6 spot in Feedspot's Top 30 Best New York Lifestyle Blogs list. Accordingly, the list was derived from thousands of carefully selected and tested New York Lifestyle blogs using search and social metrics. I'm pretty stoked about this especially because I have the honor to be in the same list as Tracy Kaler (one of my longtime favorite New York bloggers!) and other NYC Blogging biggies :) The blogs in the said list were ranked based on Google reputation, Google search ranking, influence and popularity on Facebook,...

Jun72018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

5 reasons why you should visit the Philippines

Bukidnon, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Food, Malaybalay City, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental

If you’re a fellow avid traveler, chances are you have a whole bucket list of places you want to visit around the world. Well, I’m about to tell you why you need to add one more incredible place to that list — preferably at the top. Here are five of the many reasons why you should visit the Philippines. 1. The culture The Philippines is very proud of its extremely unique culture and diversity. Did you know, for example, that there are over 170 languages spoken in the Philippines? Due to colonization over the centuries, there are also plenty of different influences in this country — mainly hailing from Spain, the United States, and Asia. These cultures all come together in one mixing pot of diversity, that makes it a real pleasure to visit the Philippines. Some people say it’s a bit...

Jun42018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Double-decker buses soon to ply Cagayan de Oro to Bukidnon route

Bukidnon, Business, Corporate

Bukidnon, considered the food basket of Mindanao, will soon see double-decker buses, akin to the iconic red ones you see plying the streets of London. Pabama Transport, a Kibawe-based bus liner, will soon introduce their brand new fleet of double-decker buses which will ply the Bukidnon to Cagayan de Oro and CDO to Bukidnon route. If you recall, Pabama is the same bus company that introduced units equipped with tablets, trays and cup holders. It looks like they're really ramping up their game. The new Pabama Bukidnon double-decker buses are manufactured by ZhongTong, one of China's largest bus manufacturing companies, and have 420 HP Engines Euro 4's. As you can see in the photos, the buses are airconditioned and have water dispensers, comfortable cushioned seats, comf...

Jun42018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Bukidnon to host Mindanao parliamentary debate championship

Bukidnon, Campus, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Society

Confirmed: the Province of Bukidnon will be the venue for the much-anticipated Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championship, a bi-annual debate tournament that gathers the most prestigious and most competitive debate organizations from universities all over Mindanao, Philippines. Organized by the Bukidnon State University Debate Varsity (BukSU DV) and the Bukidnon Debate Union (BDU), in partnership with the Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Union (MPDU), the debate will be held on September 21 to 23, 2018 at the Bukidnon State University in Malaybalay City, the capital of the Province of Bukidnon. "As we live in the post-truth era where truth is negotiable, it is imperative to continually cultivate a critical mass. Debating, as we stand, is a positive energy geared in putting the post-trut...

May22018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Thoughts about royalty free music

Mindanaoan Update

I think that it is worth to write about the fact that the royalty free music epic genre has a great prehistory, which dates back over 200 years ago. Who exactly was the first composer who has written such musical works…probably no one will say. Personally, I think there were several composers who started writing in this genre those early days. This often happens in science - when two scientists being in different countries discover the same law simultaneously, but independently even not knowing each other. So in music, various composers come to their new works independent of each other. We can say with certainty that Wagner is the composer who invested a lot of his skills and soul in the development of epic music and it is thanks to his music that the interest in this genre soared to...

May22018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Explore Islands Philippines tourism expo to be held at Grand Central Terminal New York

America, Events, Mindanaoan Update, New York, Tourism, Travel, United States of America

New York’s iconic Grand Central Terminal will provide the backdrop to showcase the 7,641 islands that make up the Philippines, which is promoting its vacation destinations. With a launch by the Philippine Tourism Secretary, the Explore Islands Philippines expo will run from May 9, through May 12, 2018. On May 9, Explore Islands Philippines kicks off at 10 a.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony graced by Her Royal Highness Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia and Serbia. Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo will be joined by Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Teodoro Locsin Jr., President of the Philippine Tourism Promotions Board Cesar Montano, as well as other high-ranking officials from New York State and the Philippines. Speakers from the Philippine Tourism will talk on May...

Apr282018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Why Texas Is Still America’s Best Real Estate Market

Mindanaoan Update

The U.S. housing market regained its momentum earlier this year, with half of all the homes in the nation worth as much or more than they were a little over a decade ago. It remains a seller’s market out there, but there still exists places where homes prices have never been lower. Where does such a strange place exist: only in Texas. El Paso Of the homes for sale in El Paso, the average price is just $186,611. In a news release, city officials credited strong job growth, low vacancy rates, affordability, a higher population of young households and the vibrant culture as the factors in its strong ranking. There’s also many outdoor activities available, including a thriving artist community, farmers market and delicious Tex-Mex cuisine. San Antonio San Antonio has continued to showc...

Apr162018 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Eat and drink all you can for Php 199 (FREE for kids) at this Cagayan de Oro restaurant

Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Restaurant, Reviews

Being a fast-growing city, Cagayan de Oro is now home to more and more restaurants. In fact, buffets or restaurants that offer eat-all-you-can in Cagayan de Oro are now a dime in a dozen. This is great for consumers like us, of course. The more options, the better! There are a lot of CDO buffet places now! However, let's face it. Not all CDO buffets are the same. Some are expensive, some may have affordable rates but the selection isn't that good or worse, some may seem to have fair prices but when the final bill arrives, you realize that there are hidden charges, service charges etc. That basically ruins what should have been a pleasant gastronomic experience, right? Good thing POPS All Filipino Eatery, which just announced that their eat-and-drink-all-you-can offer is now available eve...