mindanaoan Archives - Page 4 of 49 - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Jul202022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

UK newspaper features Iliganon, also a former CDO Nurse

Bisaya, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Mindanaoan Update

Stephanie Padilla-Madriaga, a Filipino intensive care nurse based in the UK has been featured last July 13, 2022 on The Guardian. The UK newspaper has over 110,000+ in circulation and a news website. Stephanie was part of the four international nurses who were featured to talk about their experience working in the UK. This follows reports that over half of the new nurses in the UK were trained abroad. “I’m honored to be approached by the Guardian to tell my story. I hope it serves as an eye openerfor the way we live here as an overseas Filipino workers and an inspiration for future nurses whoare coming to the UK.” said Stephanie when asked about the feature. In the newspaper feature Stephanie talked about her nursing journey from the Philippines to theUnited Kingdom, the recr...

Jun292022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

TM is the key reunion concert in CDO to feature Alden Richards, SB19, December Avenue and a lot more

Announcements, Cagayan de Oro City, Entertainment, Events, Technology

It's finally time to get the good vibes back and dance and sing together with your friends and family! Mobile network TM is set to help make this happen as they hold the most-awaited “TM is The Key Reunion Concert” on July 2, 2022, Pelaez Sports Center, Cagayan De Oro City. This is set to be a reunion concert for all Ka-TMs with their much-loved TM Ambassadors, such as Alden Richards, Seth Fedelin, Matthaios, and The Juans. Joining them too are talented guest artists such as Zack Tabudlo and December Avenue, together with CDO-based bands, Inside City and Cyber Band, who will fill the air with Pinoy music that the audience can jam into. And, guess what --- SB19 was just announced as an exciting addition to the already amazing roster of performers! Personally, I'm looking forward to heari...

Jun52022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

LOOK: Ice cream artisan Creamery Studios CDO

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Restaurant

We all have those days when we just want ice cream, comfort snacks, delicious coffee (yasss) and maybe a drink that resembles the northern lights, right? Because I do! Thankfully, there's a new place in Cagayan de Oro where you and I can indulge in everything good and sweet - Creamery Studios CDO!Try their ice cream artisan specialties, Korean egg drop sandwich, Spanish latte and the Sparkling Aurora (which resembles the breathtaking aurora borealis) The pasta chips and the berry tea fusion are also delicious choices. The Creamery Studios CDO space is also full of unicorn hues. Great for small events! However, aside from the food and drinks and colorful space, what makes Creamery Studios a must-visit is the affable owner, Chino. He is hands-on and passionate about his new venture...and has...

May62022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

TESDAMAN on PhilHealth rate hike: “Perwisyo kaysa serbisyo”

Mindanaoan Update

Sen. Joel “TESDAMAN” Villanueva urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to answer unresolved issues and controversies as the agency is set to increase contributions this June. “Ngayong magtataas sila ng singil, dapat rin nating singilin ang PhilHealth ng sagot sa mga isyu na natalakay natin noon sa mga hearing sa Senado. Ano ang mga hakbang na ginawa at ginagawa ng PhilHealth upang matugunan ang mga anomalya sa pondo na naungkat natin sa mga nakaraang Senate hearings? Nabayaran na ba ng PhilHealth ang mga utang nito sa ospital nitong pandemya? Dapat may report at accounting sila bago pa man sila magpatupad ng mas mataas na singil,” said Villanueva. In addition, Villanueva said that the mandated increase in PhilHealth contributions starting next month should...

Apr232022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Senatorial bet Herbert Bautista: Loans of up to P100K needed to revive MSMEs

Business, Politics

UniTeam senatorial candidate Herbert “Bistek” Bautista proposed a package of aid to micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) that were battered by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that could include providing up to P100,000 in loans to each small enterprise that is trying to reopen. “But let’s not give aid without a condition,” said Bautista, citing a similar assistance program for small businesses hit by the pandemic in Japan, Germany and the United States as examples of what the Philippine government can do for local MSMEs. “I’ll give you an example. I’ll give you 100,000 pesos to restart but you should hire those employed with you before,” said Bautista, who is running on a platform of Internet reform, Livelihood for all and Youth development (ILY0 and Pagkain...

Apr62022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

GCash now offers fast, secure ways to buy crypto

Business, Corporate, Internet, Technology

To provide Filipinos more convenient, secure and innovative digital financial solutions amid the ever-evolving digital age, GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet, now enables users to conveniently buy cryptocurrency or crypto, a digital or virtual currency that is secured by cryptography, at very affordable rates across popular crypto exchanges such as Binance, Philippine Digital Assets Exchange (PDAX), and Paxful, with many more to be added soon. “With the continued expansion of the digital age, it’s vital for financial institutions like GCash to keep up with the trends and customers’ preferences, like cryptocurrency. And at GCash, we are doing just that to further enhance the customers' experience and enable them to power up their finances for better lives. GCash will also contin...

Mar212022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Chiz Escudero: Deploy more doctors to the barrios, health resources for Universal Health Care in Mindanao

Agusan del Sur, Basilan, Cotabato, Mindanaoan Update, Sarangani, Tawi Tawi, Zamboanga del Norte

Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero said the country’s implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act will be useless if it does not benefit the poorest provinces, especially in Mindanao. Escudero, who is running for senator, said local government units (LGUs) in the south tend to be neglected when it comes to support for infrastructure development and health care, which explains why the municipalities and provinces there remain the poorest in the Philippines. “You cannot have a healthy economy without a healthy constituency. And there can be no true UHC if the people in Mindanao continue to have little or no access to quality health care. That requires adequate supply of medicines, health equipment and health workers,” Escudero said. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) d...

Mar192022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Migz Zubiri: Strengthen alternative fuels such as Biofuels and E-Vehicles

Mindanaoan Update

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri is pushing to suspend fuel excise tax, in the midst of skyrocketing fuel prices sparked by Russia’s war on Ukraine. Further, he is calling for stronger implementation of the Biofuels Act, as an option for alternative fuels. “With these prices, we should consider the temporary suspension of the fuel excise tax to give our people some welcome respite from the weekly increase of fuel,” said Zubiri. “Especially PUV operators and drivers, who are still trying to recover from the pandemic.” “Just when the economy is beginning to open back up and they finally have a chance to recoup, here comes an oil price surge to kill their momentum. “But suspending excise tax is a short-term solution. We need to think long-term, to avoid coming to another sit...

Mar162022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Australian yogurt drink specialty shop Koomi opens Cagayan de Oro branch

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Reviews

I’m a certified yogurt fanatic so you can just imagine how excited I was now that Koomi Philippines has opened a branch in Cagayan de Oro! Koomi, a natural yogurt drink specialty shop from The Land Down Under , serves guilt-free yogurt treats. Every cup of Koomi is made FRESH DAILY! I also absolutely enjoyed the Waterberry Wonder Tartness is perfect and the fruits they use are fresh and delicious Not only are these yummy, they’re healthy, too! They use a natural sweetener which is fruit honey and of course, our tumtums love the probiotic yogurt that aids our digestive system. Now that’s what we call #GuiltlessGoodness. Check out Koomi CDO at the G/F of SM CDO Downtown Premier (by the main entrance) or you can order via FoodPanda and GrabFood

Jan172022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Live Safe with Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol

Features, Health, LifeStyle, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews

Here's a brand of isopropyl alcohol that my family and I have been using for months now - Defensil! With many establishments slowly re-opening and allowing people to resume their pre-pandemic lifestyles, Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol encourages Filipinos to live safe. With the nationwide vaccination program in full force, Filipinos can slowly enjoy various activities such as more dining options as well as doing physical activities by going to the gym. However, health experts continue to remind everyone to not let their guards down even as we gradually go back to normal. As there are reports of new and potentially more contagious variants, everyone must remain vigilant through following established health protocols and getting vaccinated so we can all continue to live safe and prevent t...

Dec182021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

The Loop by Power Mac Center arrives in General Santos City

Features, General Santos City, Technology

Premier Apple partner Power Mac Center (PMC) opened its first store in General Santos City last November 26, 2021 to bring fans in the region even closer to Apple technology. The expansion is a continuation of Power Mac Center’s goal of increasing its geographic footprint across the nation to serve more people through its retail stores, service centers, and training centers. “New beginnings are always good. Despite the difficulties of the current situation, it’s important for us to power through the challenges and be there for our customers in the different channels they prefer. With our inaugural store in General Santos City, we hope to help more people in the south in their need to access Apple technology for their day-to-day lives, especially amid the shift to digital for productivit...

Dec142021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Philippine Senate approves Solo Parents Act

Announcements, Government, Headline, News, Personalities, Politics

The Senate of the Philippines approved the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act on third and final reading Monday, December 13, 2021. It amends Republic Act No. 8972, An Act Providing for Benefits and Privileges to Solo Parents and the Children, to improve government services for solo parents. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, co-author and co-sponsor of the bill, said that about 15 million solo-parent families in the Philippines are set to benefit from the Act. "we need to make sure that they are receiving the help that they require in raising healthy, educated children with happy home lives." “I thank and congratulate Sen. Risa Hontiveros for her efforts behind this, as sponsor of the bill. We’re really very excited that this is going forward," Zubiri added. “Parenthood is...

Nov152021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

JOIN FOR FREE! Ford Philippines Brings Driving Skills for Life in Mindanao

Events, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

Ford Philippines is bringing its Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program in Mindanao this month as part of its commitment to create better and safer drivers on the road. With the theme “Safe Driving in the New Normal”, this year’s DSFL will cover timely topics including pandemic car care and maintenance tips, car sanitation and disinfection, and driving techniques during the rainy weather. These are in addition to the existing DSFL training module which covers basic vehicle dynamics and handling, driving in various conditions, anti-distracted driving, and fuel-efficient driving. This year’s DSFL sessions will be conducted virtually in order to foster a safe and physically-distant learning environment. The DSFL is back this year after its postponement in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandem...

Nov82021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

How to protect your blog from viruses and hackers (writing from personal experience)

Business, Events, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, News, Technology

A few days ago, I shared via an Instagram post that some of my websites recently incurred malware and were down for days. Not a lot of people knew about this and I also didn't really have the energy to share because, at the time, I mostly felt exhausted and disappointed in myself. It was truly a horrible time and I was so downtrodden. Truth be told, the worst part of that entire experience was realizing that the cause of the downtime was actually preventable! If only I spent a minute or two every month to do routinary tasks! Alas, that’s now in the past and I now just consider that an expensive learning experience. Now, I'm extra careful especially when it comes to data privacy, online security and digital protection measures. Cybersecurity threats are real, folks! And it can be financ...

Nov42021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Senator Joel Villanueva: Surge of passport applications in the millions expected as COVID retreats

Features, Government, Mindanaoan Update, News

As the easing of COVID-19 cases prompts OFWs to job-hunt again, the government should open more off-site passport processing centers in malls outside of Metro Manila, Sen. Joel Villanueva said. Villanueva said the move of the Department of Foreign Affairs to open six Temporary Off-Site Passport Services (DFA-TOPS) in NCR last month is “a great solution that should be replicated and scaled up” nationwide. Passport processing, the senator added, is “an important employment assistance not only to OFWs but to first-time job seekers.” “Well, in a sense, you can view it as job generation activity,” Villanueva said. As travel restrictions get rolled back globally, this will open up economies that will take back furloughed workers, many of whom were Filipinos, the chair of the Se...

Nov22021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz joins BDO as financial education champion

Business, Consumer, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, News, Sports, Technology, Zamboanga City

BDO Unibank has formally welcomed Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic Gold medalist, to its family of brand ambassadors. Three months after ending the country’s nearly 100-year quest for Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Zamboanga City native joins forces with the Bank to champion financial education, not only for her fellow athletes but also for the unserved and underserved markets including overseas Filipinos. Though unexpected, Hidilyn is thankful for having received a string of incentives and gifts for her historic feat. With this in mind, she sees the golden value of handling these incentives responsibly, which BDO has been espousing through its financial education advocacy. “Importanteng magbukas ng account sa bangko, kahit maliit lang ipon mo sa simula. Par...

Sep232021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Coffee at the Abbey

Mindanaoan Update

The Monastery of Transfiguration, located in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, also known as the Benedictine Transfiguration Monastery, is my most favorite place for spiritual refuge. It's an ideal place if you want to go on a spiritual retreat. The centerpiece of this Mindanao monastery is a popular cone-shaped chapel, designed by the late National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin. There are no entrance fees. Just make sure that you're appropriately dressed. They have a dress code. I've written extensively about the monastery and what you can see and do there (READ: Revisiting the Monastery and 3 Things You Can Do At the Monastery of Transfiguration) but there's a new and nice development there. They have a new coffee shop slash gift shop! It's called the Abbey Giftshop and now o...

Sep232021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Panagatan Restaurant Opol now offers breakfast

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Restaurant, Reviews

Breakfast with a view? How about breakfast by the sea? Yes, please! Panagatan Restaurant, considered as Northern Mindanao's culinary gem and everyone's favorite seafood restaurant in this side of Northern Mindanao, Philippines, now offers breakfast and now opens at 6:30 AM (closes at 9 PM). For only Php 150 (US $3.00), your main viand (choose from bacon, corned beef, beef tapa, crispy danggit or daing na bangus) comes with 2 eggs and rice (or toasted bread). Value for money! There are also other breakfast options on their menu so go ahead and try this Cagayan de Oro breakfast place. Enjoy your breakfast by the bay! Panagatan Opol is atop the water so you can enjoy the morning sea breeze with delicious breakfast. Want to reserve tables or have inquiries? Just call Panagatan Restau...

Jun182021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

This Panagatan Restaurant bilao treat is a winner

Bukidnon, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Iligan City, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Restaurant, Reviews

Allow me to share with you one of my recent favorite food finds - the Panagatan Restaurant bilao treat! I'm referring to the Panagatan Restaurant Bilao D offer in particular. For only Php 950 (less than US $20), you get this whole shebang - grilled tuna belly, calamares, crispy shrimps and seafood kebabs! This was more than enough for my small party of 3 :) The tuna belly was grilled perfectly (the fish was tender and juicy), the calamares rings were not gummy at all (if they are, then that means they're overcooked!) and the crispy shrimps serving was generous. Delicious and truly value for money! Highly recommended! We also capped our meal with the bestselling Panagatan Restaurant Buko Halo halo! So good! This one is a must-order! We were also given a complimenta...

May22021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

My GMA 7 TV interview experience

Advocacy, Bisaya, Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Personal, Personalities, Society, Television

It was an invitation for a TV interview I simply couldn't resist. Just recently, I was interviewed for a segment of "At Home with GMA Regional TV," a morning TV show aired all over Mindanao, Philippines! I shared a bit about my blogging journey, how and why I started, the places I've been to around the world (I've visited Japan, the two Koreas, Taiwan, Singapore, Hongkong, Malaysia, the United States of America and more), some tips on how to become a responsible social media user and tips for folks who want to start their own blogs/vlogs/podcast etc. I also shared a bit of good news - I landed on the 4th spot on the Top 60 New York Lifestyle Blogs, Influencers and Websites 2021! The interview was aired on: GMA TV 5 Davao, GMA TV 35 Cagayan de Oro, GMA TV 8 General Santos City...

Dec42020 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Mindanaoan.com lands on Blogmeter top Philippine blogs list

America, Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Headline, Internet, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, New York, Technology, United States of America

So excited to share with you all that this humble blog, Mindanaoan, landed on BlogMeterTop's top Philippine blogs list. I'm excited about this because it has been quite a challenge to write this year. So this is such a blessing and a reminder for me to always just power through! Mindanaoan.com landed on 3 categories - on the "Top" overall, on the November 2020 top list and on the November 2020 Travel and Leisure. Mindanaoan.com is among the top 50. BlogmeterTop is a Web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic for all Philippine blogsites. According to BlogmeterTop, they track the user’s activity on the site such as page visits and statistics. BlogmeterTop’s approach is to show the dashboard-type data (as a more in-depth data) report for the casual PH blogsite own...

Oct112020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

BaiCon Infest 2020 set

Advocacy, Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Internet, LifeStyle, Media, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Technology

Creators and influencers in the Philippines are set to gather virtually via BaiCon InFest 2020. With the theme "The Space Invasion," BaiCon InFest 2020 will be a two-day (October 23-24) virtual event that will be held throughout various digital platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Zoom. During a digital press conference held last October 7, 2020, the panel talked about various initiatives like the founding of the Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines (CICP), its advocacy drive #CreatorsUnitedPH, CICP’s Spotlight Awards, BaiCon’s partnership with the Philippine Public School Teachers’ Association, and the significance of BaiCon in taking the Digital Entertainment Industry in the country to the next level. The digital presscon was hosted by Ace Gapuz of Blogapalooza and was...