life in mindanao Archives - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Jul252011 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Look where Airphil Express is taking Mindanaoan!

Blogging, Cebu City, Consumer, Corporate, Features, Flights, Hongkong, Leisure, Macau, Media, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Reviews, Shopping, Society, Tourism, Travel

A few days ago, this blogger in Mindanao received an invitation from Airphil Express. The invitation came a few weeks after my brother, cousins and I flew to Singapore and Malaysia (yes, yes, I flew there again :) If you guys remember, I treated my mom to a special mother-daughter trip abroad last February 2011) aboard --- quite coincidentally --- Airphil Express :) It was an invitation that was very hard to turn down --- it was a chance for me to be on board the special maiden flight of Airphil Express' Cebu to Hong Kong route! Yes, folks, Airphil Express now has Cebu to Hong Kong flights! Now, Hong Kong is more accessible not only for people in the Visayas but for fellow Mindanaoans as well. I'm pretty excited with this Hong Kong trip. This will be my third time in beauti...

Nov72010 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

California Berry Davao – frozen yogurt delight in Mindanao

Blogging, Business, Consumer, Davao City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews

I was in Manila during the first wave of the so-called "froyo" or frozen yogurt craze. As a self-proclaimed Mindanaoan foodie, I visited almost every available frozen yogurt store (and yep, basically said adieu to my diet!) and I often wondered when the "froyo" craze would invade Mindanao. Fast forward a few months later, the frozen yogurt trend has finally penetrated Mindanao - there are now frozen yogurt businesses in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro City. I'm pretty sure more frozen yogurt businesses will sprout in other Mindanao areas. The froyo outlet I most recently visited was California Berry. Located at the 2nd floor of Gaisano Mall Davao along Bajada, California Berry Davao serves nonfat frozen yogurt. I ordered the seasonal green apple yogurt with, as you can see, three differe...

Oct312010 by Mindanaoan Irene5 Comments

Mindanaoan.com wins! Best Lifestyle Blog – Philippine Blog Awards 2010 Mindanao

Advocacy, Agriculture, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Announcements, ARMM, Arts, Bacolod City, Banks, Basilan, Beauty, BIMP-EAGA, Bisaya, 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, 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, Shopping, Society, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato, Sports, Style, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacurong, Tangub City, Technology, Television, Tourism, Travel, Videos, Visayas, Weddings, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

Woke up to sweet and absolutely wonderful piece of news today! This humble blog - www.Mindanaoan.com - won as Best Lifestyle Blog in the recently concluded Philippine Blog Awards 2010 - Mindanao Division! Yebah! Woot woot! :D My warmest, sincerest gratitude to the organizers and sponsors of the Philippine Blog Awards 2010! Thank you for the recognition and may you continue to uplift the blogging community! And of course, my deepest gratitude to all of my readers and followers! Like I previously mentioned, just the thought of you guys sparing a few minutes of your time each day just to come and visit my little online home brings me so much joy and inspiration. I am humbled. Daghang salamat! And to the readers and followers of my two other blogs that were also finalists of the PB...

Jul252010 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

How to renew your DTI permit | Tips for an entrepreneur in Mindanao

Advocacy, Business, Corporate, Government, Mindanaoan Update, Personal

Apart from renewing my Philippine passport and applying for a new e-passport, another thing that I did this week was renew my Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) permit. I've had mine for 5 years (how fast time flies, eh?) and it's now time for me to renew it and ensure that the name of my business as well as my services are duly registered and legally recognized by the DTI. Actually, a lot of newbie or aspiring entrepreneurs I know are hesitant to get a DTI permit for fear that it'll be too time consuming or that there will be a lot of requirements. Based on what I know about getting a DTI permit and based on my own experience, it's absolutely easy to apply for one. In fact, there's now a DTI resolution that makes DTI permit applications and renewals easier for Pinoy businessmen....

Jul182010 by Mindanaoan Irene20 Comments

How to renew your Philippine passport | How to get a Philippine e-passport

Advocacy, Announcements, Consumer, Features, Government, Mindanaoan Update, News, Northern Mindanao, Personal

I just applied for the renewal of my Philippine passport. I used to have the regular green passport but since the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has now required that all new Philippine passports and renewed ones must be e-passports, I applied for a Philippine e-passport. Before the e-passport, the DFA issued machine readable passports. That's now kaput. The e-passport accordingly is a lot more secure since it contains this special chip of sorts. The Philippine e-passport is also known as the biometric passport since you no longer need a passport photo along with your passport renewal application form. Your photo, thumbprints and digital signatures will be taken during your passport renewal appointment. See more below the steps on how to renew your Philippine passport and how to...

Jul112010 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Spruce CDO to offer a whopping 50 percent discount during 5th anniversary sale!

Announcements, Beauty, Blogging, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Events, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, News, Northern Mindanao, Personal, Society, Style

SPRUCE Boutique, one of my favorite shops in Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, is celebrating its 5th anniversary with a sale like no other! Spruce CDO is set to offer a whopping 50 percent discount for at least 5 items purchased during their much talked about 5-day sale! The Spruce 5-day anniversary sale, which is their way of saying thank you to all their loyal customers, will run from July 14 to July 18, 2010. Check out this photo of their window display (this blogger from Mindanao took this today): More ABSOLUTELY EXCITING details after the jump! (more…)

Jul112010 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

Winning several bucks with PCSO Scratch It!

Consumer, Contests, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Personal

I've always had this belief that I'm a bit lucky with numbers. Not spectacularly lucky...just A BIT lucky. The kind where my winnings can help me buy a pair of shoes or a plane ticket or treat my entire family to a sumptuous dinner. Today, I tried my luck with the PCSO Scratch It! Instant Panalo game cards. These are the ones that are usually sold at a LOTTO outlet. I accompanied someone who placed her LOTTO bets at noon today. Well, because I didn't know how to play LOTTO and didn't want to just stand in a corner and be idle, I bought two Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Scratch Cards. Lo and behold --- my lucky stars shone brightly today! (more…)

Jul102010 by Mindanaoan Irene7 Comments

Meet my new toy!

Blogging, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Personal, Technology

About three weeks ago, I became a convert. A from-Windows-to-Mac convert, that is. Yes, people, this blogger in Mindanao finally made the big switch from using Windows to Mac! And so --- meet my new toy --- a spanking brand new Macbook :) Buying a Macbook wasn't an easy decision to make, mind you. Apart from the fact that learning how to use the new (and absolutely pretty white laptop - yes, I'm gushing :P) and the Mac OS would take a bit of time (yes, I can be lazy), Macs aren't exactly cheap. Macbook prices are nearly double the price of a Windows laptop. That's why I canvassed for a few days and thanks to my Twitter and Plurk friends, I got great leads as to where you can buy cheap Macbooks in the Philippines. I will share how I got a pretty good deal with my newest purchase in ...

Jul22010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Citihardware to open 3rd branch in Cagayan de Oro City

Announcements, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Events, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Northern Mindanao, Society

Well, I guess this only goes to show that Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, dubbed the City of Golden Friendship, is really booming and fast becoming "a force to reckon with" in terms of trade and industry. CitiHardware, arguably the largest and fastest growing hardware chain in the country, will open its third branch in CDO. According to a top CitiHardware official, the Cugman branch is currently in its early stages of construction. Citihardware's two existing branches in Cagayan de Oro are located at Bulua and Gusa. If you guys recall, Mindanaoan was hired to handle shared event coordination services during the grand opening of the CitiHardware Bulua branch. As co-event organizer, Mindanaoan was in charge of providing professional lights and sounds, a female professional host, a band ...

Jun252010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Ampatuan massacre witness killed

Broadcasting, Commentary, Controversial, Crime, Maguindanao, Media, Mindanaoan Update, News, Opinion

Suwaid Upham a.k.a. "Jessie" was shot dead recently. Not only should family and friends of the victims of the Ampatuan massacre be concerned...we Mindanaoans...nay, FILIPINOS...must also be very concerned. We must awfully, most profoundly be worried. Suwaid Upham was a very vital witness to the November 23, 2009 Ampatuan, Maguindanao massacre which claimed 58 lives. The same massacre that rocked the entire nation especially since thirty two of the victims were Mindanaoan journalists - who all went in good faith, who all just did their jobs...who all did not have any clue that it would be their last day on earth. That massacre left all of us dumbfounded.Who knew that a beast so heartless, who killed women and innocent journalists, lived in Mindanao? On the other hand, the gruesome...

Jun222010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Events in Mindanao: Yaman Gensan 2010

Announcements, Business, Events, General Santos City, Mindanaoan Update, News, Sarangani, Society, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato, Technology

Are you a Mindanaoan businessman or an aspiring entrepreneur? Here's your chance to learn more on how to start a business in Mindanao and get to meet other entrepreneurs and perhaps strike a deal or two! Gear up for Yaman Gensan 2010! The annual Yaman Gensan will run from June 23, 2010 to July 22, 2010 in General Santos City, Mindanao. With the theme "Trabaho...Negosyo...Asenso," Yaman Gensan 2010 aims to encourage entrepreneurship and to provide a platform for existing and would-be businessmen not only from SOCSKSARGEN but all around Mindanao to discuss issues and concerns that may affect their industries. Check out the Yaman Gensan 2010 poster below: The Yaman General Santos 2010 event will again feature an Entrepreneurs' Forum, a Franchise Expo, a Jobs Fair plus trade fair ...

May312010 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

Freebies alert – Giving away Mindanaoan.com keychains!

Announcements, Blogging, Contests, Freebies, Mindanaoan Update

Hello everyone, I'm giving away several Mindanaoan.com keychains :) Simple yet useful keychains for all of the valued readers of my humble blog about Mindanao and life in Mindanao! It's super easy to receive a FREE Mindanaoan.com keychain. All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE TO MINDANAOAN (CLICK, CLICK!) :) Yes, yes, it's THAT easy for you to get this freebie :) After you click the link leading you to the SUBSCRIPTION PAGE, please just leave a valid email address and don't forget to verify your email address by clicking on the URL that will be sent to you via email. Subscribe NOW because I will start shipping these keychains out by June 15, 2010! NOTE: Existing subscribers of Mindanaoan.com need not fret because all of you will also be included in this mini keychain-giveaway thingi...

May262010 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Mindanaoan at the first ever Cebu Blog Camp 2010

Advocacy, Bisaya, Blogging, Events, Internet, Leisure, Media, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Technology

So I'm finally back from a 4-day escapade in Cebu City, the Queen City of the South. The primary reason as to why Mindanaoan was in Cebu was to attend the first ever Cebu Blog Camp 2010. The event, which held the theme "Blogging, Expressions and Opportunities," gathered more than a hundred bloggers from all over the Philippines. The Cebu Blog Camp provided a platform whereby bloggers, IT experts and experienced new media practitioners discussed various issues concerning the blogosphere including online journalism, blogging ethics, marketing yourself as a blogger, blog marketing and earning money online. I learned a lot from the speakers (thanks Hans Koch for the very helpful WP plugins and big thanks to Tonyo Cruz for reminding me why I shifted to online media after 8 long years as a...

Nov242009 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Mindanaoans beware – Typhoon Urduja to hit Mindanao

Announcements, Mindanaoan Update, News

Fellow Mindanaoans! Let's all be on alert! PAGASA has said that tropical depression “Urduja” has entered the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday afternoon and it has now hit Mindanao and Visayas. Here in Mindanao, storm signal number 1 has already been raised over Camiguin, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat and Siargao Island. According to PAGASA, typhoon Urduja is bringing strong winds from 30 to 60 kilometers per hour. Let's all take the necessary precautions. In my side of the world, the weather's turning to be very chilly.It rained a bit earlier today and I reckon more rainshowers will come later today. The skies are very dark and heavy here. What about in your part of the world? How's the weather like?

Apr212009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

RTMI bus bombed in Kabacan, North Cotabato…and I was just there 2 days ago!

Bukidnon, Controversial, Crime, Iligan City, Koronadal, Lanao del Norte, Mindanaoan Update, Muslim Mindanao, News, South Cotabato

My, my...this really scared the wits out of me. Less than 24 hours after I posted this entry about my first ever trip to Koronadal City (where the Rural Transit Bus I took had a brief stop at Kabacan, North Cotabato), I found out that a Rural Transit bus with body number 2772 got bombed Monday afternoon. And I was just there...in the very same place...two days ago! An improvised bomb reportedly exploded inside the bus. A passenger, who allegedly boarded the vehicle in Bukidnon, left a bag at the back part of the vehicle. The bomb explosion left four people injured. Coincidentally, a bomb also exploded at a bridge in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Mindanao. The bridge has been declared "unsafe for passage." When will all these ever end?