Consumer Archives - Page 9 of 18 - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Sep172012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Human Nature CDO store opening

Advocacy, Beauty, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Personal, Reviews, Shopping, Society, Style

The Human Nature CDO store has re-opened and is now at a new location, making it easier for consumers of organic, chemical-free and 100 percent made in the Philippines products to purchase and to even apply as dealers. The store re-opening of Human Nature Cagayan de Oro was held last Saturday, September 15, 2012 at its new location at Hayes corner Velez Streets, Cagayan de Oro City, Northern Mindanao, Philippines. Mindanaoan was invited to witness the Human Nature Cagayan de Oro store re-launch. Thank you to Sheilah, Marla and to all the other branch operators for the invitation :) Human Nature is a social enterprise focused on natural and organic products. Human Nature stands by the philosophy of being Pro Philippines, Pro Poor and Pro Environment. Founded in November 2008, Human Na...

Sep172012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Alaxan, Puerto locals team up to build Court of Inspiration in CDO

Advocacy, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Entertainment, Events, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, News, Northern Mindanao, Sports

Alaxan FR and local residents of Barangay Puerto, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao have teamed up to build a "Court of Inspiration," a project that aims to not only to highlight the importance of sports development in a community, the spirit of volunteerism and corporate social responsibility but also to even encourage people to change the way they should look at pain. Under the "Court of Inspiration" project, a community basketball court will be constructed. Alaxan FR will provide the materials while the residents and other volunteers from the barangay will do a "bayanihan" and will work together to build it. The Cagayan de Oro "Court of Inspiration," which will be built at Zone 5, Puerto, will also be built on land donated by the Pagutayao family. The groundbreaking ceremony was he...

Sep102012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Quest Cebu Hotel and Conference Center grand opening – I will be there!

Announcements, Blogging, Business, Cebu City, Consumer, Features, Flights, Hotels, Mindanaoan Update, Resorts, Tourism, Travel

I received a really exciting invitation a few days ago - I will be flying to Cebu City for the grand launch party of Quest Hotel and Conference Center Cebu! :D The grand opening of Quest Cebu Hotel is set to take place on September 20, 2012 and I am super excited to be where the action is! Quest Hotel Cebu is located along Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City - a few steps away from Ayala Mall Cebu. Ergo, it's right within the business district. This Cebu hotel is an 18-storey hotel that boasts of 427 delightfully furnished rooms (deluxe and premier deluxe) and suites (corporate and junior) as well as 8 modern meeting rooms with state-of-the-art facilities. Click on the logo below to find out more about this new hotel in Cebu: I will be live-tweeting the Quest Hotel Cebu grand opening s...

Sep72012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Updated: Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 Davao

Beauty, Blogging, Business, Consumer, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, Events, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Style

It's Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 Davao time! After the hugely successful Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 CDO leg, it's now your turn, Dabawenyos! The Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 Davao City leg is set to happen on September 14 to 16, 2012 at the Activity Center of Abreeza Mall, JP Laurel Avenue, Bajada, Davao City. A Make Your Own Havaianas event is where you can customize your own pair of Havaianas flipflops. You can choose from various soles (including two specially designed ones called the MYOH Estampas - available in both top and slim designs), straps and iconic pins. So during the Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 Davao event (MYOH Davao 2012), you can design a truly unique pair of Havaianas - one that truly reflects your style! You might want to read my Make Your Own Havaianas 2012...

Sep52012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

DFA consular office opens in SM Davao City

Announcements, Consumer, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, Features, Government, Mindanaoan Update, News, Travel

Good news for all those in Davao City and neighboring areas who need to apply or renew their passports. The Department of Foreign Affairs or DFA has finally opened its new consular office on the 3rd floor of SM Davao City. Aside from serving as the DFA Region XI consular office, the new DFA Davao consular office at SM Davao will also serve as its Mindanao office. The DFA consular office in SM Davao began operations Monday, September 3, 2012. Initially, only passport applications will be accepted. DFA SM Davao consular office hours: Monday to Saturday - 10 AM to 8 PM; Sunday 10 AM to 2 PM You can call (082) 285-4885 or (082) 285-5190 for inquiries. Meanwhile, here's how to renew your Philippine passport or how to get a Philippine e-passport * photo of DFA CDO taken and...

Sep32012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Classic Savory SM Cagayan de Oro

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Food, Reviews

I will make this Classic Savory SM CDO review short. This Mindanao lifestyle blogger ate at Classic Savory SM Cagayan de Oro last weekend. I brought along some blogger-friends and told them that Classic Savory is pretty popular in Manila. Disclosure: paid for the food and this is NOT a sponsored post. Introduced in 1950 by the Ting brothers, Classic Savory opened its 50th branch in SM City Cagayan de Oro. I have eaten at other Classic Savory restaurants but that weekend was the first time that I visited Classic Savory CDO branch. We ordered 1 whole chicken (requested the kitchen folks to chop it into bite pieces but they failed to do so), a platter of Yang Chow rice, kangkong with crispy pork belly and Classic Savory Long Life pancit guisado. The food was all right (a little bit expe...

Aug22012 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

SM Lanang Premier Davao City

Announcements, Business, Consumer, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Shopping

So who else is excited for the much-awaited opening of SM Lanang Premier? It seems everyone in Davao City is looking forward to the opening of SM Lanang Premier, a mall that's supposed to have a total land area of 100,000 square meters. Reports say that SM Lanang Premier Davao City will have 4 storeys and, true to its name, will feature "premier" brands, stores, facilities and amenities. How "premier," you ask? SM Lanang Davao will boast of: 1. The Skygarden - this will be at the front part of the mall and will have restaurants amid a garden 2. The Park - a strip of restaurants at the back of the mall 3. 5 digital theaters, 1 SM Center Stage and 1 IMAX cinema 4. SM Bowling Center and Science Discovery Center (I was able to check out the Science Discovery Center in SM Mall...

Jul302012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Why you should join Kumbira 2012 in Cagayan de Oro

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Contests, Corporate, Entertainment, Events, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Food, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, News, Northern Mindanao, Recipes

It's Kumbira 2012 time again! Every year, the Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (COHARA) organizes a professional and student culinary competition and trade show dubbed "Kumbira." Derived from the same Visayan word that means "feast," Kumbira is the largest culinary event in Mindanao - so large that it actually lasts for 3 days! (this is the first reason why you should join Kumbira 2012, by the way! Don't you think it's exciting to be a part of an event so grand?) This year is no different. "Kumbira 2012" will be held on August 15, 16 and 17, 2012 at the Atrium of Limketkai Mall, Cagayan de Oro City and - this brings me to the second reason why you should join Kumbira 2012 in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines - Kumbira 2012, which is now on its 16th year, has, accordin...

Jul222012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Win exclusive invites to Make Your Own Havaianas 2012

Announcements, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Contests, Entertainment, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Shopping, Society, Style

Do you love Havaianas? Or do you want to own a pair of Havaianas? Do you and your friends like taking jump shot photos? Here's a chance for you to not only take fun jump shot photos but to win exclusive VIP invites to the Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 Northern Mindanao leg! And you know what an invite means - you get to design your very own pair of Havaianas! Join the Jump For Joy With Havaianas promo and you stand the chance to receive exclusive invites to the 2012 Make Your Own Havaianas Cagayan de Oro leg. Here's how to join: (fun fact: the models used in this poster are the fun, funky bunch behind Mindanao's best professional photography team - One Happy Story Photography!) I just love, love, love Make Your Havaianas events! It's actually one of the events I look forward...

Jul142012 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Multiply goes to CDO

Blogging, Business, Consumer, Technology

Before the big Facebook takeover and during those days when Friendster put a limit to the number of photos you can upload, everyone was at Multiply. Back then, Multiply was where you can find your friends' photos (tons of them!), favorite videos and blog entries. Multiply was also where you can practice simple HTML skills - change the font size, place your "welcome greeting" on the center etc. Multiply also allowed users to see who already "viewed" their sites so unless a person kept his or her account totally private, it was a bit of challenge for everyone to upload comment-worthy or "view-worthy" entries. And yes, Multiply was also the home of so many budding Filipino entrepreneurs - all who maximized Multiply's site features to sell everything from shoes to bags to homemade pastries....

Jul92012 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 CDO leg – come with?

Beauty, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Events, Fashion, Features, Gifts, Mindanaoan Update, Style

Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 Cagayan de Oro edition! Yes, it's that time of year again! How fast time flies, eh? The much-awaited Make Your Own Havaianas 2012 CDO Northern Mindanao leg is set to happen on August 17 to 19, 2012, 10 AM onwards at the Rotunda area of Limketkai Mall, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao. Who wants to come with me? :) I don't know about you but I'm pretty excited about this one! This will be my FOURTH time to join these fun-filled MYOH events. My very first Make Your Own Havaianas event was in 2009. That pair of flip flops is still, to this day, one of my favorite pairs. For the uninitiated, Make Your Own Havaianas events is where you can create or customize your very own pair of Havaianas flip flops :) I also joined the Make Your Own Havaianas 2010 and...

Jul42012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

myBRO – latest PLDT, Smart Internet connection offer

Announcements, Business, Consumer, Technology

As a social media strategist, practising publicist, blogger and entrepreneur, I need to constantly be connected. It is very important for me to have fast, reliable and consistent Internet connection not only in my home but also when I'm mobile. You see, I have so many emails to check everyday, a lot of online tasks to accomplish, several blog posts to write and publish, many social networking accounts to update and a couple of websites to manage. Without a reliable Internet connection, I will for sure have a difficult time. Take the case of my social networking accounts. I see to it that I update my Mindanaoan Twitter account as much as possible. My Twitter account played a huge role in my humble Typhoon Sendong relief operations and donation drives last December 2011. Because of good a...

Jul32012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Davao City plastic ban on

Advocacy, Announcements, Consumer, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, Features, Government, Headline, Mindanaoan Update, News

I first shared this info about the proposed plastic ban in Davao City last May 2012. Today, I'm so happy to let you all know that the Davao City plastic ban ordinance is now being implemented! Davao City has started to implemented the ban against non-biodegradable plastics and styrofoam materials. The Davao City plastic ban started last June 28, 2012. The measure is in line with the city's Ecological Solid Waste Management efforts. Not all plastics are banned, however. You can still use BIODEGRADABLE plastics in Davao City. You are also very much welcome to use paper bags and other biodegradable packing materials as well. Although the rules and regulations with regard to the plastic ban in Davao City were finalized in 2010 and the business establishments in Davao City were given t...

Jul32012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Inside Vjandep pastel factory in Bulua

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Consumer, Corporate, Food, Northern Mindanao, Recipes, Technology

Pastel is a Spanish term for cake. And perhaps the Mindanao business that successfully introduced pastel to the market is Vjandep Pastel. The pastels produced by Vjandep are soft bread buns filled with various fillings such as yema (custard), ube, chocolate, pineapple, durian, bavarian cream etc. From a humble business that originated in Camiguin Island, Mindanao, Philippines, Vjandep Pastel now has turned into a huge corporation. Vjandep pastels are now among the favorite pasalubong delicacies in Northern Mindanao. Just recently, I had the chance to visit the Vjandep Pastel factory at Barangay Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City. According to Vjandep Pastel owner Virgilio Jose, the factory can produce thousands of dozens of pastels every single day. The pastels are distributed not only within C...

Jun262012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Airphil Express launches Manila – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia flights

Announcements, Business, Consumer, Flights, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Manila, Reviews, Tourism, Travel

Good news for travel bugs! Airphil Express, the country's fastest growing airline, now has flights from Manila, Philippines to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (and vice versa)! This Airphil Express Manila - Kuala Lumpur flight route is the third international destination of Airphil Express. If you guys remember, this blogger from Mindanao was one of the lucky bloggers who got to join the maiden Airphil Express Cebu to Hong Kong flight last year :) The Airphil Express Kuala Lumpur to Manila flights are scheduled every Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays with flights departing from Kuala Lumpur at 11:55 pm. The ETA or expected time of arrival is 4:05 am in Manila. Meanwhile, the Airphil Express Manila to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia flights leave at 7:40 pm. The expected time of arrival in KL is 11:25 pm...

Jun62012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu dinner buffet – Cafe Marco

Cebu City, Consumer, Features, Food, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Resorts, Reviews, Society, Tourism, Visayas

So after our Cebu island hopping adventure with Islands Banca Cruises, what better way to cap off the day (and to celebrate my brother's birthday) but to check out Cafe Marco at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu? Cafe Marco is the popular and award-winning signature restaurant of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, the only 5 star hotel in Cebu City, Visayas, Philippines. Dubbed as the "Best Buffet Restaurant" by a lifestyle magazine, there's really hardly any wonder why Cafe Marco is one of Cebu City's most favorite buffet restaurants. The well-lighted and tastefully designed restaurant seats 144 guests and has 4 very clean, interactive kitchens that offer Asian, Western, Japanese and Filipino cuisine. Cafe Marco at Marco Polo Cebu also has a salad and cold appetizers bar, a grilling and tempura station and...

Jun52012 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Cebu island hopping with Islands Banca Cruises

Blogging, Business, Cebu City, Consumer, Features, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Resorts, Reviews, Society, Style, Tourism, Travel, Visayas

Ever wanted to tour Cebu islands in style? Here’s one Cebu adventure you must try! I have always wanted to go on a Cebu island hopping trip. Who hasn’t heard of the beauty of the Pandanon white sandbar as well as the rich and lovely marine life at both Gilutungan and Talima Marine Sanctuaries? Add to that the fact that I absolutely love to swim and snorkel. What best way to do all that but to go on an island hopping adventure in Cebu, right? Fortunately, my wish was granted just a few days ago, much thanks to Islands Banca Cruises. My recent Cebu island hopping adventure aboard Islands Banca Cruises was made possible by the generosity of Islands Group President and Chairman Jay Aldeguer and with the able assistance of Islands Banca Cruises marketing officer Jefferson Cruz. Islands Banca...

Jun32012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Compostela Valley Mindanao to have 1.5 km zipline

Business, Compostela Valley, Consumer, Features

Move over, Dahilayan Adventure Park. Another Mindanao area will soon have the longest zipline in all of Asia. Compostela Valley, Mindanao will soon be home to a whopping 1.5 kilometer zipline at Camp Manual Yan in Mawab. Yup, you read that right. One and a half kilometers! Holy cow! This new Mindanao extreme adventure will be much longer than the Bukidnon zipline. The longest zipline in Bukidnon is only 840 meters. That means that the Compostela Valley zipline will be almost double that! Dahilayan Adventure Park, which can be found in Barangay Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, is currently the home of the longest dual cable zipline in all of Asia. The zipline in Compostela Valley will reportedly be worth Php 3 Million. The provincial government of Compostela Valley will be the ...

May172012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Perks of Living in Mindanao

Advocacy, Agriculture, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Announcements, ARMM, Arts, Bacolod City, Banks, Basilan, Beauty, BIMP-EAGA, Bisaya, Bislig, Blogging, Broadcasting, Bukidnon, Business, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Campus, Caraga, Commentary, Compostela Valley, Consumer, Contests, Controversial, Corporate, Cotabato, Culture, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, Dipolog, Education, Entertainment, Events, Fashion, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Flights, Food, Freebies, General Santos City, Gifts, Government, Headline, Hotels, Humor, Iligan City, Internet, Island Garden City of Samal, Jobs, Journalism, Kaamulan Festival, Koronadal, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Leisure, Maguindanao, Make Money Online, Malaybalay City, Marawi City, Media, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Movies, Music, Musings, Muslim Mindanao, Negros Occidental, News, North Cotabato, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Ozamis, Pagadian, Personal, Personalities, Photos, Politics, Radio, Recipes, Religion, Resorts, Reviews, Sarangani, Shenzhen, Shopping, Sindangan, Singapore, Society, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato, Sports, Style, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacurong, Tangub City, Tawi Tawi, Technology, Television, Tourism, Travel, Videos, Visayas, Weddings, Weird, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

If you listen to the news on Mindanao, the most likely reaction is that you’ll hesitate to come here. Much less choose to live here. But given the direness of the news on the peace and order situation here, have you ever wondered if there are perks to living in Mindanao? Actually, what’s so terrible in the news is merely a microcosm of Mindanao society. Given the largeness of the island and the number of regions, cities, and cultures that are found in Mindanao, you might want to take the news with a grain of salt the next time. Mindanao is generally a peaceful place. The members of the populace are satisfied with their lives, and commerce and trade are smoothly moving along. The economics show a due representation from the filthy rich to poverty level poor, but people manage to get by. ...

May92012 by Mindanaoan Irene6 Comments

Davao City bans plastic bags, styrofoam starting June 28, 2012

Advocacy, Announcements, Bisaya, Blogging, Business, Consumer, Controversial, Corporate, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, Features, Food, Government, Headline, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, News, Personal, Society, Technology

YEY! I am so, so, sooo happy with this development! Congratulations Davao City! What an awesome move! I'm so proud of my hometown Davao City for finally, FINALLY deciding to put a ban against non-biodegradable plastic bags and styrofoam! Points for Mother Nature, environment and the start of the use of eco-friendly products :) I wonder, though, how the fastfood chains and other business establishments that use plastic bags and styrofoam will cope when the ban takes effect on June 28, 2012. Hmm. What do you think? Anyways, here's the news report from SunStar Davao: Non-biodegradable plastic bags and polystyrene foam as food and beverage containers will no longer be allowed in this city starting June 28, this year. Polystyrene foam is more commonly referred to as Styrof...

Apr132012 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Where to buy original Sperry Top-sider in Mindanao

Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Corporate, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Shopping, Style

Want to know where to buy original Sperry Top-sider shoes in Mindanao, Philippines? Look no further! The World’s First Boat Shoe can now be bought in one of Mindanao's best lifestyle stores (and one of my personal favorites, I might add!) - Spruce. The Sperry Top-Sider story is an example of the American knack for ingenuity and innovation. It also represents a love of sun, surf and soul of the ocean...something that the brand coins a "Passion for the Sea". In 1935, Paul Sperry, an avid sailor and outdoorsman, discovered a long- sought solution to a problem that had long troubled the sailing community: the fact that traditional shoes performed “like roller skates” on a wet deck. As Paul Sperry described it, his new shoes "stuck like a barnacle". Sperry Top-siders are known to ...

Feb282012 by Mindanaoan Irene12 Comments

Mindanaoan chosen for the US State Department IVLP program | I am off to the US!

Advocacy, Agriculture, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Announcements, ARMM, Arts, Bacolod City, Banks, Basilan, Beauty, BIMP-EAGA, Bisaya, Bislig, Blogging, Broadcasting, Bukidnon, Business, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Campus, Caraga, Cebu City, Commentary, Compostela Valley, Consumer, Contests, Controversial, Corporate, Cotabato, Culture, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, Dipolog, Education, Entertainment, Events, Fashion, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Flights, Food, Freebies, General Santos City, Gifts, Government, Headline, Hongkong, Hotels, Humor, Iligan City, Internet, Island Garden City of Samal, Jobs, Journalism, Kaamulan Festival, Koronadal, Kuala Lumpur, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Leisure, Macau, Maguindanao, Make Money Online, Malaybalay City, Malaysia, Manila, Marawi City, Media, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Movies, Music, Musings, Muslim Mindanao, Negros Occidental, News, North Cotabato, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Ozamis, Pagadian, Personal, Personalities, Photos, Politics, Radio, Recipes, Religion, Resorts, Reviews, Sarangani, Shenzhen, Shopping, Sindangan, Singapore, Society, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato, Sports, Style, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacurong, Tangub City, Tawi Tawi, Technology, Television, Tourism, Travel, Videos, Visayas, Weddings, Weird, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

It's official, folks! :) I have been chosen by the U.S. Department of State to visit the United States of America as a participant in the International Visitor Leadership Program or IVLP. I will leave for the U.S. on March 3, 2012 and will stay there until the first week of April 2012 :) Actually, the program that I will be a part of will only run for 3 weeks but I plan to stay a bit more to savor the sights and sounds of the USA. During the 3-week program, I will visit Washington, Orlando Florida, Salt Lake City Utah and Portland Oregon. I plan to visit New York and Virginia as well :) Do any of you guys out there live in these areas? I would love to meet you! :) Let me know through the comments section below. And oh, did I mention that I'm the ONLY Filipino and the only femal...