mindanao blogger Archives - Page 20 of 22 - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Mar142010 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

Hot Hunks including gorgeous Brazilian-Jap Akihiro Sato sizzle in Mindanao!

Beauty, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Entertainment, Events, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Personalities, Photos

Sizzle mah schizzle! Saturday, March 13, 2010 was an uber special day for ladies! In celebration of Women's Week, SM City Cagayan de Oro, along with top retail brands Penshoppe, Mint, Folded and Hung, Maldita and Bossini, hosted the "Hot Hunks Fashion Show" featuring no less than the current toast of the local fashion world, Brazilian-Japanese (Brapanese) hottie Akihiro Sato. For the uninitiated, Akihiro Macieira Sato is a 6 ft 1 inch stunner born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He used to model in Thailand but now he has decided to grace the Philippine shores with his amazing looks and pleasing disposition and has decided to live here for good! Be still my heart! So of course, who wouldn't want to go to SM City CDO to catch this cutie? So along with some friends, Mindanaoan went ...

Mar132010 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Havaianas Happy Soles – time for happy souls to travel to Brazil!

Announcements, Beauty, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Corporate, Davao City, Events, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Society

Hello, fellow Mindanaoans! Are you ready to flip-flop your way to a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Brazil? If you're a Havaianatico (i.e. a person who loves Havaianas and the Havaianas lifestyle) then do read on! The answer to my earlier question better be a resounding YES as world-famous fashion brand Havaianas kicks off its new Happy Soles campaign for Havaianaticos 18 and above. This campaign celebrates the fact that Havaianas has been both a witness and a reminder of Filipinos’ happiest moments. A constant companion on everything from beach trips to food trips, Havaianas has trekked up mountains, walked down wedding aisles and danced under the pale moonlight. For many happy soles, Havaianas is a daily reminder of moments spent with friends and filled with laughter – moments that d...

Mar132010 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Nacionalista Party’s Grand Cebu City “Wowowillie” rally

Commentary, Controversial, Entertainment, Events, Features, Government, Media, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Personalities, Photos, Society

Mindanaoan had the chance to cover the uber grand "Wowowillie meets Manny Villar" rally in Cebu City recently. Yes, it was "Wowowee" and popular host Willie Revillame meet Nacionalista Party standard bearer Manny Villar, vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda and senatorial bets Atty. Adel Tamano, Gilbert Remulla, Bongbong Marcos, among others. I was personally curious as to how the show would go. Of course, it was obviously a political affair in the guise of a variety show. However, and I say this with all fairness, you could sense during the show that because Willie Revillame is an avid supporter of Manny Villar, the show had "heart" (Willie spoke spontaneously as he rallied support for Villar, Legarda and the senatorial candidates, he shared personal experiences, personal thoughts...

Feb282010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Review: Paragon Suites in Cebu City, Visayas | Budget hotel in Cebu

Business, Consumer, Hotels, Mindanaoan Update, Opinion, Reviews

HOTEL REVIEWS - Paragon Suites Cebu City is located along Juana Osmena Street, Cebu. Roughly a 10-minute walk away from bustling Mango Avenue (where there's a lot of videoke places, bars, restaurants, coffee shops and Internet cafe stations), Paragon Suites is ideal for people who want cheap accommodations in Cebu City. One can classify Paragon Suites Cebu as a budget hotel, a budget pension house or a cheap inn with the basic amenities. I stayed at Paragon Suites Cebu City just a few days ago. I stayed for a total of 3 days and truth be told, I didn't quite enjoy my stay and therefore will never find myself staying at Paragon Suites Cebu ever again. But more on that after the jump. Here's a look at my superior room (rate was P1,380.00 per night): My room was fully carpeted and fu...

Feb262010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

From the campaign trail – Mindanaoan will post exclusive photos, kuwentos etc

Advocacy, Announcements, Blogging, Broadcasting, Commentary, Controversial, Events, Features, Media, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Opinion, Personal, Politics

Hello everyone! How is everyone doing? It's been quite a while and I really hope all of you are in good health. Mindanaoan has been very busy as of late and this is due to the start of the nationwide campaign sorties. As you all know, the campaign period for the national positions began last February 9, 2010 and political parties have been so busy visiting various areas around the country. Mindanaoan is a part of these nationwide tours. This has actually got me thinking --- perhaps it's best if I also share my own experience straight from the campaign trail. What do you guys think? I was thinking of sharing exclusive photos, videos, kuwentos and other things that may prove to be interesting somehow for all of my readers. I was thinking of sharing behind-the-scenes stuff. What do ...

Feb262010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Mindanaoan’s new Swatch Vancouver 2010 watch

Consumer, Fashion, Musings, Personal, Style

I must admit, I'm not much of a fan of watches - maybe because I grew up in an average income family and because receiving and giving gifts especially expensive watches is considered quite a luxury. I think I only had one or two "real" watches when I was younger. Real meaning it was either given as a gift or that I saved my allowance for. Most of the other watches I had were "hand me downs" from my parents. And so I grew up not really seeing the need of having a funky watch. I guess I managed to just really be time conscious and prompt at almost everything that I felt a watch would just be an accessory and nothing else. Fast forward many years --- here I am earning my own keep and finally having extra money to spend on things that I like, want and need. One of the things that I bo...

Feb242010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Review: Highway 21 Hotel in Iloilo City, Visayas

Hotels, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism, Travel

My first night in Iloilo City was spent in Highway 21. Classified as a pension house, I actually thought that this nice place located right in the heart of Iloilo City was more of a hotel. The perfect choice for budget conscious tourists, Highway 21 Iloilo City is located along the busy General Luna Street. Highway 21 is actually right beside the Sarrabia Manor, a well-known hotel in Iloilo. Compared to Sarrabia, though, Highway 21's rates are way cheaper. I stayed at the new wing of Highway 21. The rooms found at the new wing are slightly higher than those found on the annex area but I thought the added expense was worth it. The new wing had an elevator while the annex didn't have one. Plus all the rooms at the new wing had free, fast wireless Internet connection. That was impor...

Jan282010 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Mindanaoan plays wedding photographer in Camiguin Island Mindanao

Beauty, Blogging, Camiguin, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Photos, Weddings

Hi guys! Thanks for visiting my humble blog about Mindanao and Mindanaoans :) I know I haven't been posting much the past few weeks...and I have good reason! Mindanaoan has been traveling here and there and more often than not, I end up being so tired to even lift a finger let alone write about my escapades. Thankfully, this blogger from Mindanao is home (at least for the next few days) and I'm back to sharing with you all the sights and sounds of Mindanao. One of the things that I got to do last week was travel to Camiguin Island, Mindanao. Along with my professional photographer-brother Bon and his assistant Gary, we covered a simple yet very romantic wedding in Camiguin, also known as the "Island Born of Fire." It was the wedding of Erwin and Karen. Erwin's from Bukidnon and Karen...

Jan282010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Region 10 becoming Mindanao’s dominant regional economy

Bukidnon, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Commentary, Consumer, Features, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, News, Northern Mindanao, Technology, Travel

Hi guys, the following is a pretty interesting read. This guest blog entry is from Mindanaoan's friend, Mike Banos, a respected journalist based in Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao. Read, read, read :) Since Iligan City and Lanao del Norte were integrated back into Northern Mindanao (Region 10) in 2002, the resulting region has remained Mindanao’s biggest economy. Recent years indicate it is now pulling away to attain a position of dominance among the island’s regional economies. A quick look at the economic accounts of the island’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) shows that before the realignment of regions in 2002, Region 10 trailed the Davao Region (Region 11) in GRDP. However, since Iligan and Lanao del Norte rejoined Region 10 and some parts of the Davao region were re-align...

Jan152010 by Mindanaoan Irene28 Comments

Ayala Mall CDO – said to be the biggest mall in Mindanao

Announcements, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Corporate, Davao City, Headline, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, News, Northern Mindanao, Society, Tourism

It looks like Cagayan de Oro City is now, more than ever, THE next place to watch out for here in Mindanao. Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is set to build the biggest mall in Mindanao - the Ayala Mall CDO - and is set to allot a total of P4.5 Billion for the said project. Ayala Mall CDO will be a shopping and recreation haven and will reportedly be right smack in the heart of the city. Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Constantino Jaraula was quoted as saying that the Ayala Mall Cagayan de Oro "would make the city the major shopping destination in Mindanao as this will be the biggest mall in the region and will further boost our beloved city as a haven for investment." Ayala Mall CDO will even be larger than the P3 Billion Ayala Mall Davao City, reports say. Ayala Mall CDO will occupy a large s...

Dec302009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Robin Padilla, now “Abdul Aziz,” lends support to Mindanaoan senatorial candidate and fellow Muslim Adel Tamano

Announcements, ARMM, Controversial, Features, Government, Headline, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Muslim Mindanao, News, Personalities, Politics

Following Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Chairman Nur Misuari’s endorsement, popular Filipino actor Robin Padilla, who now has embraced the Muslim name "Abdul Aziz," has also expressed his support for fellow Muslim Atty. Adel Tamano. Tamano, the first Filipino Muslim scholar-graduate of Harvard Law School and President of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, is a senatorial candidate under the Nacionalista Party. In a handwritten personal note to Tamano dated December 9, 2009, Padilla wished the young lawyer and former opposition spokesperson well in his political journey. “May Allah guide you and give you success,” the note read. Tamano, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Padilla’s show of support. “I am extremely grateful to Robin for his trust and confidence,” T...

Dec262009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

TILT Bar opens in Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao

Announcements, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Entertainment, Events, Features, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Musings, Northern Mindanao, Personal, Society, Style, Tourism

So the opening of the newest and hippest bar in Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao was a success! Congratulations to Dennis for the smooth handling of the event and to the owners of Tilt bar! Thank you very much to all who came and partied with us during the opening of CLUB TILT! Thank you very much to my brother Bon and his friends, to fellow HUE Magazine movers Cong and Andrew and of course to my ever reliable CDO Blogger-friends! All of the partyphiles who came that night grooved to the funky beats courtesy of the HYPE DJ's and of DJ Manolet Santos from Manila! TILT is located along Velez Street, Cagayan de Oro City. More about this funky place here. Meanwhile, if you need an event organizer, event stylist, wedding or events photographer anywhere in Mindanao and around the Philip...

Dec252009 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Christmas is in the air at SM Mall of Asia

Beauty, Blogging, Business, Consumer, Corporate, Events, Features, Gifts, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Photos, Society, Style, Travel

So yes, Mindanaoan was in Metro Manila for two days. Hence, the obvious lull here in my humble blog. My two-day Manila trip was a surprise Christmas gift from two very special friends whom you'll learn more about in the next few days. Needless to say, the trip was the most expensive one I received this year...and the sweetest impromptu gift, I must admit. For now, I'd like to share some of the shots I took last December 23, 2009 at SM Mall of Asia, considered the 3rd largest mall in the world. Truly, the festive Christmas spirit can be felt at MOA! I did a little bit of Christmas shopping there, watched "Avatar" at IMAX 3D theater, ate at a relatively new restaurant and bought Krispy Kreme for pasalubong. I wanted to visit Trinoma, too, but 2 days just isn't enough! Anyways, he...

Dec202009 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Mindanaoans who will run for national positions come May 2010

Advocacy, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, ARMM, BIMP-EAGA, Bisaya, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Commentary, Controversial, Davao City, Features, Government, Headline, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, News, Opinion, Personalities, Politics, Society

Did you know that several Mindanaoans will gun for national political positions come May 2010? If you're the type of person who wants to support fellow children of Mindanao in the next presidential elections, then you may want to check out the list below. Among the vice presidentiables, two are Mindanaoans. Bangon Pilipinas' vice presidential candidate Perfecto Yasay, Jr. is from Davao City. Jay Sonza, the vice presidential candidate of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan party, is also from Davao. All of Sonza's children are fellow Ateneo de Davao University alumni. As for the senatorial candidates, on the other hand, Mindanaoan has identified 10. First is Nacionalista Party's bet lawyer Adel A. Tamano of Lanao del Sur. He's the first Filipino Muslim scholar graduate of Harvard Law Schoo...

Dec152009 by Mindanaoan Irene6 Comments

Nur Misuari successfully pools hundreds of MNLF commanders – still the man, I guess?

ARMM, BIMP-EAGA, Controversial, Headline, Mindanaoan Update, Muslim Mindanao, News, Personalities, Society, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

Don't strike Nur Misuari out just yet! Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Chairman Nur Misuari successfully assembled hundreds of MNLF commanders, leaders and members during the 5th National Bangsamoro Consultative Assembly held at Zamboanga Sibugay, Mindanao. Hundreds of MNLF members came (a lot even came down from the boondocks just for the event) that the local army reportedly got a bit alarmed. Thankfully, authorities understood what the event was for. It was, after all, a peaceful meeting among Bangsamoros. The 5th National Bangsamoro Consultative Assembly aimed to obtain, through "shura" or Islamic consultation, the pulse of the Moro people regarding the peace talks between the government and the MNLF. (more…)

Dec112009 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Yes, Virginia, I sang a duet with Atty. Adel Tamano!

Entertainment, Features, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Musings, Personal, Personalities, Photos, Society

So one of my blogs celebrated its anniversary recently and guess who my very special guest was? Atty. Adel Tamano, of course! Just in case you've been living under a rock, Atty. Adel A. Tamano is one of the senatorial bets of the Nacionalista Party, which is led by presidential candidate Manny Villar. Atty. Adel is the first ever Filipino-Muslim graduate of Harvard Law School, the first ever Filipino-Muslim commencement speaker of Harvard University and he's the president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM). And yes, he was the spokesperson of the Genuine Opposition in the 2007 elections. Bongga ang guest ko di ba? Actually, I spent the entire day with him and his entourage as they toured Bukidnon last December 4, 2009. He was with his brother, Atty. Aquil Tamano, as wel...

Dec52009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Full text of Maguindanao martial law declaration – Proclamation No. 1959

Announcements, Controversial, Government, Headline, Mindanaoan Update, News

Mindanaoans here is the full text of President Gloria Arroyo’s declaration placing the province of Maguindanao under martial law. THOUGHTS? PROCLAMATION NO. 1959 PROCLAIMING A STATE OF MARTIAL LAW AND SUSPENDING THE PRIVILEGE OF THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS IN THE PROVINCE OF MAGUINDANAO, EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN AREAS WHEREAS, Proclamation 1946 was issued on 24 November 2009 declaring a state of emergency in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and the City of Cotabato for the purpose of preventing and suppressing lawless violence in the aforesaid areas; WHEREAS, Section 18 , Article VII of the Constitution provides that ” x x x In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety so requires it, (the President) may, for a period not exceeding sixty days, suspend the p...

Dec12009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Mindanao jobs alert: multinational beverage company is hiring!

Announcements, Cagayan de Oro City, Jobs, Mindanaoan Update

Spotted this ad by a "top multinational beverage manufacturing company" in a regional newspaper here in Mindanao today. The company's name wasn't specified (and I must admit, I have qualms about this) - still, it's worth a try, yes? Especially since a lot of Mindanaoans still don't have jobs these days. Here's the text of the job opening in Cagayan de Oro City Mindanao that I spotted: General qualifications: candidates must ideally be 21-30 years old, have good scholastic performances, have good communication skills, are literate in Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Powerpoint and Excel and must have leadership and good interpersonal skills. There are job openings for: 1. Industrial Engineers - male, working experience in logistics. Related job experience an advantage ...

Nov262009 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

List of journalists killed in the brutal Ampatuan massacre

Commentary, Crime, Headline, Maguindanao, Media, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, News, Opinion, Personal

First of all, we should not call it "Maguindanao Massacre" anymore. We should now call it "Ampatuan Massacre." Ampatuan is the specific place where the mass graves were found. Maguindanao is the province here in Mindanao. Secondly, to fellow journalists out there (especially those from Luzon) who make the constant mistake of treating Mindanao as one "lawless island," (come on, you know who you are!) please...please be extra careful. Maguindanao IS NOT Mindanao. Mindanaoans like myself have been doing our best to help keep our place peaceful and safe. Unfortunately, like any other area, there are people who refuse to obey the law and think that they are above it. These people do not represent the entire island of Mindanao. One tiny yet misleading description of our island can re...

Nov262009 by Mindanaoan Irene13 Comments

Google Wave invitations – Mindanaoan is giving away Google Wave invites!

Announcements, Contests, Freebies, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

Looking for a Google Wave invitation? Then read on...:) Mindanaoan has been using Google Wave for the past few weeks...and all I can say is...WOW. In case you haven't heard, Google Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. Yep, the key there is REAL TIME. Through Google Wave, for instance, I can now communicate with my fellow writers and they can help edit my work in real time, they can share related photos or maps with me in real time and they can also format my article the way they want it or the way that it should be. So for very busy newsrooms, for instance, this can certainly be an advantage because there will no longer be a need for a writer to email an article to the editor and then for the editor to email back the proofread document. Google Wave...

Nov252009 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

President Gloria Arroyo’s press statement on the Maguindanao massacre

Announcements, Controversial, Cotabato, Crime, Headline, Maguindanao, Mindanaoan Update

Lame duck President Gloria Arroyo released a statement on the very gruesome Maguindanao massacre...the very massacre that led the International Federation of Journalists to declare that the Philippines is the most dangerous place for journalists to work in. Yep, after Efren Penaflorida's triumph as CNN Hero of the Year and after Mindanao Manny Pacquiao's 7th world title, the Philippines is again hogging headlines. And sadly, Mindanao is at the center of it all. I can't quite point a finger to it...I don't know but I feel icky whenever I read this so-called "press statement." Maybe because the government hasn't done a thing ever since this entire brutality took place. Or maybe because all of PGMA's mouthpieces have only exercised lip service and nothing else. Or maybe because I am just t...

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?