Mindanaoan Update Archives - Page 16 of 67 - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Jun132016 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

The Nest CDO: Your slices of France and Italy in Cagayan de Oro

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Events, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Society

Meet Henrik Yu. Many Kagay-anons know that he's one of the owners of homegrown brands Bigby's Cafe and Missy Bon Bon. Let me add something more to describe this amiable, well-traveled and wise entrepreneur - he's quite the risk taker. He often wins, mind you, because he has a vision and passion like no other. So when I heard of his latest venture - The Nest CDO, a new dining and lifestyle destination in Cagayan de Oro - I knew that Henrik will, once more, put his heart, soul and impressive business acumen into effect. In other words, I'm pretty sure he will win again. I had the chance to visit The Nest CDO exactly a week before their supposed "very, very soft opening" (Henrik's words) on June 18, 2016. I was among the very first to try their offerings - and I must tell you...

Jun132016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Good news – More Lumad schools established in Mindanao!

Advocacy, Announcements, Bukidnon, Culture, Kaamulan Festival, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, News, Northern Mindanao

A total of thirty nine (39) schools for our indigenous peoples (IP) or Lumad brothers and sisters have been established in key parts in Northern Mindanao, Philippines and I have never been so happy! I think it's high time that we give importance to our Lumad brothers and sisters. Enough of taking advantage of them and abusing the sanctity of their culture. Enough of using them as "props" during certain festivals that are, in fact, just purely commercial in nature. Enough, please! Twenty three of the schools will be established in Malaybalay City (at Nasuli, Bangcud, to be exact), Valencia City and 10 other Bukidnon municipalities. The remaining sixteen will be found in Iligan, Gingoog, Balingasag and Claveria, Misamis Oriental. Thank you to the Department of Education. This is one...

Jun52016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Covering Senator Migs Zubiri’s oathtaking ceremony

Advocacy, Blogging, Bukidnon, Events, Government, Media, Mindanaoan Update, News, Politics, Society

What was supposed to be a self-imposed, much-needed vacation last June 4, 2016 in Bukidnon turned into a mini "working holiday" when my good friend Bobby of Rappler told me that he and other Cagayan de Oro media friends were in Malaybalay City to cover the oathtaking of returning Senator Juan Miguel "Migs" Zubiri. Apparently, I've been living under a rock because I wasn't even aware that Sir Migs was taking his oath that day! Eep. Anyways, I knew I couldn't pass up that chance to witness Sir Migs as he takes his oath as comebacking Senator. Plus I would've missed this scene - Sir Migs as he personally checked his speech and made final touches: READ: Full text of Senator Migs Zubiri's oathtaking speech In 2007, I remember writing the banner headline story of him running for the...

May72016 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Why Chiz Escudero is my Vice President

Advocacy, Announcements, Blogging, Features, Government, Headline, Journalism, Media, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, News, Opinion, Personalities, Politics, Society

Chiz Escudero. I first saw him in Congress. He was the fast rising young representative of Sorsogon then. All eyes were on him. Him and his impossibly forever kunot polo barong. Kunot because he’s here, there, everywhere. I remember whenever I observe at the plenary hall, he often stands up, asks questions from the floor, consults other legislators. In my mind, ang kulit din ng kongresistang ito. He wasn’t like many congressmen who’d just sit and wait for their attendance to be called. Siyempre, crush na crush ko siya noon. Ten Outstanding Young Men awardee, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Rotary Golden Wheel Awardee for Political Governance and Legislation and the list goes on and on. Saan ka pa? Young, very smart, articulate, took and passed the bar on the first try and cute...

May72016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Thinking of joining the artisan craze?

Mindanaoan Update

The artisan craze has come to food, clothing, household items and more. The idea of something original and uniquely designed with care appeals to many, especially those who act as curators of their home and kitchen. However, the idea of specialized design has been around a long time, in many different industries, particularly those which have one-off items that require unique solutions. Niche Design and Commercial Fishing If you head to the wild waters of the Bering Sea, Alaska, you will notice a large number of factory trawlers. These are net-dragging boats which stay out for weeks at a time and contain a factory crew who can fillet or otherwise process the fish on board, box, and deep freeze them. The ability to do this requires special factory equipment that has to be able to deal wit...

May22016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Win Gatchalian to DepEd: prepare for exodus of senior HS students from private to public

Advocacy, Campus, Mindanaoan Update, Politics

Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) senatorial bet Win Gatchalian todaydownplayed fears that the implementation of the K to 12 program this coming school year will result to more high school dropouts especially those from private schools. “On the contrary, many private schools are now problematic because many students and even teachers in private schools are transferring to public schools for the senior high school (SHS) program. This is because public school teachers are given higher pay than those in private schools and receive numerous benefits from government,” said Gatchalian, who is among the supporters of K to 12 in Congress. Gatchalian said the Department of Education’s earlier projection revealed that about 172,000 students will transfer to public schools this year for the S...

Apr262016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Try This When In Iligan: Delicious Roti de Iligan

Culture, Food, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Mindanaoan Update, Muslim Mindanao

After spending a few hours at Timoga Spring Pool, my friends and I then proceeded to the city proper. We were a bit hungry but weren't in the mood to eat neither at a fastfood outlet nor at a fancy restaurant. We just needed a quick bite. So Vic of WowCDO led us to a small, unassuming little cart along Lluch Street (behind St. Michael’s College) that sold roti for only Php 25. It was amazing to see several people patiently queuing. There was good reason, though – the delicious roti de Iligan was served piping hot, had a generous filling and was very affordable. It wasn't the Indian roti I was used to. Instead, roti de Iligan was a sort of amalgamation of Indian and Muslim influences. Made of flour, vegetables, mayonnaise, cheese and other ingredients, roti de Iligan is simple...

Apr262016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Iligan City Day Trip idea: Timoga Spring Pools

Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Resorts, Tourism, Travel

Iligan City, also known as The City of Majestic Waterfalls (23 all in all!), has truly evolved into a more highly urbanized area here in Mindanao. Located in the province of Lanao del Norte, what used to be an industrial city now has a merry mix of commercial, business and tourism offers. Iligan City now has more restaurants, shopping centers and hotels. Don't worry, though. The city still retains a certain charm that even well-traveled souls could appreciate. A couple of my friends and I went to Iligan recently for a quick day trip. The main purpose was for business but we all quickly agreed to add a little “laag” time. And, of course, our first stop was one of the pools at Timoga-Buru-un area. There are a couple of spring pool resorts at Sitio Timoga. The pools there all source the...

Apr212016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

How To Find Cheap Airfare – Tried And Tested Methods

Headline, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Technology, Tourism, Travel

We all know that the key to a real, budget-friendly trip is cheap airfare. Once you snag a good deal on airfare, you will then have a fairly good idea of how much the rest of your budget will be. After all, it’s pretty easy to scour for budget accommodation, reasonably priced food and public transportation. Airfare is the pretty tricky aspect to consider when planning a trip. Let me share with you some of my personal tips on how to find cheap airfare. I practise these very effective methods (and this is why I have lots of domestic and international trips). Do read and please let me know if you find these tips useful as well. Purchase tickets as early as possible. Promo fares are usually offered more than 6 months (even a year prior) before the allowed travel period. You can book ...

Apr212016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Running For Office? How Social Media Can Help You Win

Announcements, Blogging, Commentary, Internet, Media, Mindanaoan Update, News, Politics, Society, Technology

The official campaign season for the May 9, 2016 presidential polls has finally begun! Soon, the local campaigns will also begin. Are you one of the candidates this 2016 elections? Whether you’re a veteran or a newbie candidate and whether you’re gunning for a national or local seat, you need to adapt to the ever-changing landscape. This includes learning and implementing popular yet often misused and under-utilized social media strategies. For this week’s column, please allow me to deviate from my usual travel-related topics and let me share some tips on how you can use social media to help you win a government seat. These are just some of the things I learned all throughout the years as a publicist, social media strategist and US government leadership program alumnae (where my trips a...

Apr172016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

LaBoracay 2016: Zoukout Boracay

Entertainment, Events, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Society, Tourism

ZoukOut, Asia's definitive annual music festival, is finally heading to the white sands of Boracay Island for the most-awaited LaBoracay 2016 event series. After 15 years in the business, ZoukOut is finally crossing borders and, together with Globe Telecom, will amplify the LaBoracay experience on April 30 and May 1 at Epic and Uptown Beachfront. Adding to the excitement of the music fest, Globe rolled out a poll that allowed Filipinos to pick which home grown talents they want to represent the country at ZoukOut. The race between 4 big names in the Philippine electronic dance music industry was a very close one but in the end, Deuce and Carlo Atendido won. Both officially bagged the opportunity to showcase their talent on the first ever Philippine ZoukOut stage. These Filipino t...

Mar312016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Duterte son endorses Chiz Escudero for Vice President

Announcements, Bisaya, Controversial, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Government, Mindanaoan Update, News, Personalities, Politics

Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte has officially endorsed the candidacy for vice president of Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. Duterte and Escudero met with several other councilors in Davao City last March 31, 2016. This, according to a news report released by Davao Breaking News. Vice Mayor Duterte is the son of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte. The Dutertes lead the local political party Hugpong Sa Tawong Lungsod. During the meeting, Duterte was quoted as saying, "Sinusuportahan ko ang kandidatura ni Vice President Chiz Escudero dahil sa lahat ng mga kumakandidato sa pagka bise presidente, siya lang po ang nakita kong tumulong at tutulong sa Davao City." “I choose Sen. Chiz Escudero as my VP given that he has significantly helped the City through his infrastructure proj...

Mar292016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

What to order at Pete’s Patriots Gastro Pub CDO

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Reviews, Society

My family and I have a new favorite restaurant in Cagayan de Oro. It's where we share and enjoy the BEST crispy pata in CDO and other bang-for-the-buck meals - Pete's Patriots Filipino Gastropub. Located along Rosario Strip within the Limketkai Center area, Pete's Patriots CDO is a newly launched Filipino Gastropub restaurant - the first of its kind in the Philippines. Pete's Patriots aims to provide Kagay-anons the Manila lifestyle bar and dining experience by providing mouthwatering food, quality service and edgy ambiance. Incidentally, Pete's Patriots is owned and operated by the Red Crab Group of Restaurants - with restaurants such as Seafood Island, Red Crab and other Manila based concepts such as Murray's New Orleans, Clawdaddy, Teddy's Burgers, Johnny Kahuku Hawaiian Shrim...

Mar192016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

My faves at #BigBiteAtCentrioAyalaMall Northern Mindanao food festival

Cagayan de Oro City, Events, Food, Mindanaoan Update, News, Northern Mindanao, Photos, Reviews

March 11 to 13, 2016 sure was a lovely weekend! Big Bite 2016: The Northern Mindanao Food Festival at Centrio Ayala Mall truly showcased not only the flavors of summer but the undeniably skillful cooking talents of Kagay-anons. I had the chance to witness this Mindanao food festival as one of the judges for the Lifestyle Writers' Choice award for this year's Best Dish, much thanks to the Centrio Mall management and Professional Organizers. I tried about 10 dishes for the mall merchants category and about 15 (IKR :D) for outside food exhibitors. Needless to say, I was a very happy camper that weekend ;) Let me share with you some of the photos I took during Big Bite 2016 - The Northern Mindanao Food Festival. These colorful umbrellas were installed at the garden area. As expected, ...

Mar102016 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

H&M #CDO – What it will be like to be a part of the team

Announcements, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Corporate, Fashion, Features, Gifts, Jobs, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Shopping, Society, Style

The secret's out. H&M Philippines, which first opened in Västerås in Sweden in 1947 and has become a global fashion company since, is set to open a store in Cagayan de Oro. H&M CDO is definitely one of the most-awaited brands to hit the City of Golden Friendship. Follow the Mindanaoan Facebook Page for H&M CDO updates With 3,900 stores spread across 61 countries, H&M found its first home in the Philippines in the capital city where it opened its doors in October 2014, forever changing the fashion landscape of the country. Now H&M has 13 stores in our beloved archipelago, two of which very recently opened in Cebu City. And very soon - in Cagayan de Oro City! As the retail titan that it is, H&M has around 132,000 dedicated employees who, like many creatives, ...

Mar32016 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Something unique at Run United #CDO Freedom Run 2016

Announcements, Cagayan de Oro City, Events, Features, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, News, Northern Mindanao, Sports

Exceed yourself! This is the challenge given to all interested participants of the much-awaited Run United CDO 2016 Freedom Run. Jointly organized by Circle Productions and ActiveHealth, Run United Freedom Run CDO aims to be THE running event of the year. It will be grand, hip and will even feature one very unique and exciting aspect come race day - which I will tell you more about below. I was invited to the media briefing yesterday of Run United CDO 2016 and I must say, the excitement in the room over this running event was almost palpable. Cagayan de Oro's top race organizer Circle Productions has teamed up with ActiveHealth, which is affiliated with Unilab (makers of Enervon HP, CarbGel, Enervon Activ and a whole lot of other health and wellness products). (L-R) Jeffrey An...

Feb262016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

AirAsia, Davao tourism partner for Visit Davao Fun Sale 2016

Announcements, Business, Consumer, Davao City, Events, Flights, Mindanaoan Update, Tourism

AirAsia, the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for seven consecutive years, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Davao Tourism that aims to establish Davao as a premiere tourist destination in the Philippines with abundant resources for eco-tourism and available facilities for sports and outdoor competitions. As airline partner, AirAsia is offering low fares for its Manila-Davao flights to encourage more and more tourists to visit and enjoy Davao’s latest attractions. Among the major activities that will happen this year include Visit Davao Fun Sale, Let’s Meet in Davao: MICE Davao program and the 9th Mt. Apo Boulder Face Challenge. * Philippines AirAsia Commercial Head, Gerard Peñaflor; Visit Davao Fun Sales (VDFS) Vice Chair Fides Bernabe; and Department of Tourism (D...

Feb222016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Join the HATCH Mastermind Group CDO

Advocacy, Announcements, Arts, Blogging, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Corporate, Features, Media, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Personalities, Society, Technology

A mastermind group, where participants can freely brainstorm strategies, create goals and implement ideas as well as support each other, has been launched in Cagayan de Oro City. Dubbed “HATCH Mastermind Group CDO,” the free-for-all group also aims to provide a platform whereby participants can share the challenges they currently face and can seek assistance from the collective intelligence of other participants. Active Twitter users Mike of @mikeabonitalla, Vic of @vicmadz and Irene of @mindanaoan, who can also share strategies based on their respective fields of expertise, serve as the lead volunteer organizers of HATCH Mastermind Group CDO. “Cagayan de Oro is a thriving city. There are lots of investments coming in and there are lots of new and possible marketing strategies. With...

Feb212016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Covering the 1st presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro #CDO

Advocacy, Blogging, Headline, Internet, Media, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Society, Technology

It's game time. Today, February 21, 2016, all of the presidential candidates for the May 9, 2016 Philippine elections will all converge in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines for the first round of "PiliPinas Debates 2016." And Mindanaoan will be there to observe, comment and cover. I will be one of the only 300 allowed to be inside the debate hall. I will also be among the 25 media observers. I am hoping to harness the power of social media today. May I invite you all to follow me: Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/mindanaoan Facebook - http://www.twitter.com/mindanaoanblogger Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mindanaoan Snapchat - Username is mindanaoan Please follow Bukidnon Blogger @malaybalayan as well. We will both be there. The debate will start at 5 PM and will last for...

Feb182016 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Where to stay in Cebu: Bayfront Hotel Cebu

Cebu City, Hotels, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Tourism, Travel

Since Cebu is just a hop and skip away, it’s a favorite business and holiday destination for many of us Mindanaoans. Chances are, we have relatives or good friends in Cebu or we source products there or we use Cebu as our jump-off point to other interesting places like Boracay or Palawan. Personally, I visit the Queen City of the South at least two times a year and my recent international flights leave from the Mactan Cebu International Airport. Take my most recent trip to Japan, for instance. I wanted to stay for a few days in Cebu before my flight to Narita (which is an hour away from Tokyo) and just rest. I wanted a hotel that was in the middle of all the hustle and bustle but not too far away from the airport. I also wanted a hotel that offered good facilities, amenities and food bu...

Feb152016 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

CDO press club to boycott Feb. 21 presidential debate?

Announcements, Blogging, Cagayan de Oro City, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Society

The Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) has released a statement of indignation where they cried foul over alleged discrimination in the media coverage for the first presidential debate set on February 21, 2016. The debate is the first in a series organized by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) alongside various media companies. Please read and share the full statement of the COPC on why the call for BOYCOTT. I also shared a few personal thoughts below. Statement of Indignation Cagayan de Oro Press Club, Inc. 14 February 2016 Respect the local press community We, members of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club Inc., express our serious concerns over what appears to be an attempt to bar the provincial press from covering the first Presidential debate scheduled at the Capitol University...

Feb52016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Piolo Pascual and son Inigo celebrate Financial Freedom in Davao

Davao City, Entertainment, Events, Mindanaoan Update, Musings

Popular Filipino heartthrob Piolo Pascual and his equally handsome son, Inigo Pascual, made a stop in Davao City recently to celebrate financial freedom! The two Pinoy hunks headlined the #LiveFreePH Freedom Tour in Davao City, where my fellow Dabawenyos were treated to educational booths, exciting promos, and a free concert. Beginning the journey A string of activities guided participants to begin their own #LiveFreePH journey. In a bold move, they declared their vision of financial freedom with the “Live Free Freedom Wall.” Then they looked at their current situation, shared their outlook about the future, and pledged support to a community in need through BLISS or “Brighter Life Index: Social Sentiment.” And by joining the “Sun CeleBright” promo, they won free trips to their c...