PLDT bought Sun Cellular (Digitel)

Found this article from Yugatech that PLDT, telecom that owns Smart, Talk and Text, and Red Mobile now acquires majority of the shares os Digitel, which owns Sun Cellular, lessening the competition that should be Smart vs Sun vs Globe to PLDT vs Globe, whoa! that is one big leap for PLDT! Having the third largest mobile network will leave Globe less than 1/3 of the mobile market! I do not know what is behind this merging they (PLDT and Digitel) will benefit on this deal. For PLDT of course they will acquire most of the market in mobile network, not only that did you know that Sun has bigger growth than Globe in the end of 2009, so having that fact PLDT will double its growth. For Sun Cellular, they will benefit from the cell sites of Smart all over the Philippines giving them stronger and wider signal all over the archipelago.

As for my opinion, Sun Cellular need not to be merged to PLDT since they have they're own growth in the mobile network market, giving their customer affordable unlimited calls and texts. Also, you may seem to belittle Sun Cellular as a secondary option but did you think being a secondary does not have a benefit, you might be wrong. I have friends that uses Globe or Smart and their secondary phone is Sun, if you closely think of it and do the math, on the mobile network market, Globe and Smart will both have 25% while Sun will have a whooping 50% share on the market. (If you are thinking where did I got my calculation that is just how I analyze the situation). I am not a Sun Cellular subscriber but I think it's a lost for them.

Puerto Galera 2011 (way home)

morning at the beach

Droggy na kami kaya uwi na at kelangan pang magbreakfast bukas. Around 7 or 8am gumising kami to take our breakfast. We would like to taste again the Galera's version of Lomi, pero mali kami na napuntahang resto, hehehe. Instead the menu is pancake, which is my favorite also pero hindi ko gusto yung luto nila, tapsilog, sandwiches coffee and juices.

ang ninja at ang...

After having our breakfast it is time to take our bath on the beach, dun kami nagpunta sa far left ng beach kasi maraming bangka dun sa middle part since yun yung daungan ng mga bangka. The sand is dirty white compared to the other white sand beaches and medyo marumi, kasi kanya kanya atang linis sila dun, maraming basura like yosi, bottled water and glass bottle of alcohol. Kaya nagpunta kami dun sa far left kasi wala nang mga resto dun at wala maxadong kalat. 

with lablab

The water is still clear though the sun is not yet coming out. So we decided to swim and to take some pictures. After swimming we went back to our room and took a shower and then get our lunch we took our lunch just beside the resto kung saan kami naglunch when we first got to the beach. 

where we had our 2nd lunch

Masarap ung mga nasa menu nila, at mas masarap kung kinakain mo na, hehehe. Our menu for lunch are, liempo, chicken curry, chicken cordon bleu, sinigang, and chilli con carne and yes, it is a feast! Mas masarap toh dun sa masarap naming lunch kahapon, hehehe.

dawn at Galera

ninja doing the fire dance

Late na kami nakapag lunch kaya back to the room muna then after a while, bumaba ulit at kumain ng pizza at halo halo dun sa pinakadulong resto sa left side ng beach. May videoke din kaso naubusan sila ng 5 peso coin para ipalit sa pera namin kaya tumigil na din kami. Then we decided to go bar hopping again. Drunk some Sling and dance the night away, hehehe.

breakfast at Leynlie's

Our last day in Galera, we have our early breakfast and sa wakas ung gusto kong pancake eh nakain ko din, para kasi xang crepe with mango inside, tapos sandwiches and the usual silog meals. 

jump shot

packed and ready to go home

 Then we took a dip again in the beach and then we went back to our room to prepare our thing for our check-out. Same mode of transportation boat ride from Galera and bus towards cubao, since mas malapit kami sa terminal na un, hehehe.

Seisha Coffee

Seisha Coffee @ Antipolo

Ang matagal nang pinaplanong Seisha session ay natuloy sa wakas! Though hindi lahat nakasama kagaya ng kopi sessions masaya pa rin :).

Front

First things first hindi kami nagpunta dito para mag adik, hehehe, nagpunta kami d2 para maexperience ang sarap at bango ng... Kape! hehehe.

Located @ P. Oliveros Corner J.P. Rizal Antipolo City

Well Seisha is a small coffee shop located in Antipolo, walking distance from Antipolo Church. They offer hot and cold coffee, iced or frappe and some snacks on the side. It may not be as popular as Starbucks or other coffee shops in the metro but I can proudly say that the taste of their frappe can be compared to them, although I have just tried White Mocha Frappe in their menu, hehehe.

Spaghetti

White Mocha Frappe

I also ordered spaghetti and it's sweet style pasta, I like! They have sandwiches and carbonara also. Besides from those they have FREE WIFI connection! o ha, meron ba ang Startbucks nyan? hehehe. Since hindi naman ganun ka popular cozy and ambiance at peaceful hindi katulad sa ibang popular coffee shops na ang daming nakatambay, hehehe.

Inside the Coffee Shop

Lastly we tried the real Seisha, the one that creates smoke, hehehe. It's like a bottle of perfume, at the bottom is flavored liquid mixture and on top is like burning charcoal. At first we don't know how to use it, basta hithit lan ng hithit, medu nagtataka kami kung bakit kontng usok lan ung lumabas, un pala may teknik pala para dun, hehehe.

You need to make the liquid bubble, the more bubble the more smoke, hehehe, kaya nung bandang huli naadik ako kc daming usok, hahaha! You will taste the flavor after you smoke, hindi rin nakakainis ung usok nya kagaya ng cigarette at hindi rin masama ang lasa at most of all walang nicotine, wakekekek. For health effects some say it is more toxic since you will be inhaling more smoke than normal cigarette some says its much lesser, I've search the net and even them are confused, see this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah#Health_effects. The experience was very fun, the coffee taste good and the place is nice and quite. Highly recommended! I think there are open early in the morning until 2am the next day.

Puerto Galera 2011 (where to stay)

Sa pagpapatuloy...

view of the beach from our boat

Sa wakas, sa nearly two hours naming wavy ride sa bangka, nakarating din kami sa pampang. Walang port sa White Beach dadaong lang ung bangka at sasadsad sa buhangin ibababa ang hagdan at dun kayo bababa, hehehe. Hinanap namin ung susundo sa amin papuntang hotel, medu natagalan kami kaya hinanap na lang namin ung hotel, at nakasalubong namin ung susundo sa amin, so late sila, hehehe. 

front of the hotel with our Arabian friend

Hindi nyo makikita ung hotel na un pagkababa nu ng bangka, it's far left ng beach. Bagong gawa lang ung hotel na tinuluyan namin, kasi last year wala naman un dun, hehehe. Malinis at bagong bago ang amoy, may free wifi nga kaso sa lobby lan, hehehe. Ang downside pinag antay nila kami sa check-in so medu nafrustrate ung mga kasama ko pero xempre cool lan ako. 

our first lunch @ VM resto

Since hindi pa kami makakapasok ng room, kumain muna kami ng lunch sa katapat lan na resto. Ang menu? ang binabalikbalikan naming liempo at ang masarap na kanin, at pork sinigang, with matching mais con hielo for dessert. Bumalik ulit kami sa hotel after an hour at hindi pa rin kami makakapasok. 

inside the room

Tinanong ko ung may-ari kung bakit nagtagal ung check-in namin, matagal daw kc nag check out ung mga naka check-in pa dun sa room na iooccupy namin. Pag pasok sa room, maamoy mo talagang bago pa, at lahat naman nang sinabi nung babae sa pier e nandun, cable TV, beds, hot and cold water. Nagpakuha pa ako ng extra mattress para sa isa pang bear na kasama namin, ung single bed kc eh pang isahan lan, single nga dba, hehehe. Yung extra mattress ay 300 pesos pero dahil magaling ako, nakuha ko xa for free, hehehe. Dahil pagod sa byahe, nagpahinga muna kami.

wala pang pagakin kaya picture picture muna... @ Peter's Resto

After taking a siesta lumbas na kami ng room for dinner, pinuntahan namin ung usual na kinakainan namin sa Peter's kaso nadismaya kami. nagrenovate nga sila ng place pero hindi na ganon ung food nila, konti ng servings at mukang minadali kahit sobrang tagal naming nag antay. Isa pa palang dapat nyong malaman, pagkumain kau kahit saan dun matagal talaga bago maserve ang pagkain kaya wag kaung mainip o magalit, talagang ganun lang dun, hehehe. 

the first bar we stayed

After the not successful dinner, we go grab a beer, not actually a beer but a mixed drink called Mindoro Sling. If you haven't gone to Galera yet and if you have plans on drinking you must try their local mix of Mindoro Sling, any bars on the beach offer that drink. Nagbago na nang konti ang Galera, 

the entertainers

Fire dance

nung una kaming nagpunta music and booze lan at medu may mga gerlalu pang nagseserve ngaun music plus booze at may entertainment na sila ngaun puro bading nga lan ung nageentertain at waitress nila, hehehe. May konting disco disco din sa ilang bar. A pitcher of Mindoro Sling will cost 330 pesos, you may try looking for a cheaper one though. Naka 6 pitchers kami so dibaydibay 6 bale tag iisang pityel kami, hahaha!

at the next bar

Last part next...

Coming up!

the waves

the people

the feast

Puerto Galera 2011 (how to go)

The Beach front

It is the time of the year na naman, kung saan nagkakasama sama kaming magkakabarkada na mag summer outing sa Puerto Galera, Occidental Mindoro. Pero this time medu kakaiba, kung bakit eh bashin nu na lan, hehehe. Dahil kadarating lang nang aming mahal na kaibigan arabo nagpasya kami na mag Galera dahil "dapat" eh summer na. Nagkita kita kami ng bandang 530 ng umaga sa KFC sa may Gil Puyat station ng LRT, malapit na kc dun ung terminal ng bus papuntang Batangas Pier. So pagkatapos mag almusal dumerecho na kami sa bus station pero sa labas pa lang ay may naghihintay ng bus.

The troop at the bus

Batangas ek ek yung pangalan ng bus, alam ko nga ang gamit nung bus na un ay biogas kasi napanuod ko un dati sa news. O well, bukod sa biogas ang gamit nila, malinis at komportable ang bus na un, para na ngang tourist bus eh. Php167 and pamasahe direcho papuntang Batangas Pier. Ang bilis lang ng byahe, 2 hours nandun na, gawa na kc ung Star Toll na drecho na nang Pier, so from SLEX drecho Star Toll na tapos Pier na, hehehe.

Sa pier you need to go to the part na pang byaheng White Beach, kc baka pumunta kau dun sa gate na pang RORO at mapunta kau kung saan, hahaha. We went to get our ticket from Father and Sons Lines, eto kc ung lagi naming sinasakyan though may mga ibang bangka naman. The ticket is 250 one way and if round trip it is 450 pesos.

At the terminal

After paying the boat ticket may babayaran pang environmental fee na 50pesos at terminal fee na 30pesos bago ka makakapasok sa terminal mismo. Hindi kami nagtagal sa terminal dahil paalis na din ang bangka. Bago kami lumabas mga nag offer na nang room sa amin Sea Jewel ung name ng Hotel. they offered 2000 per night good for 6persons. Para sa akin mura na ung room kaya kinuha ko na agad baka kc nagkaka ubusan na naman ng matutuluyan at mauwi kami sa squatters area, hehehe. So binayaran ko na nang buo bale 4k ung 3days 2 nights stay. Sabi nung nag offer ng room ay may aircon, cable TV, 2 double size beds and 1 single bed, hot and cold water, at wifi daw ung room kaya affordable na un para sa akin.

view of the port from the boat

So sakay na kami ng bangka, ang pangalan nung bangka ay Blue Penguin pero mostly yellow ung kulay nung bangka, bakit kc hindi na lan yellow penguin dba? Tsaka wala naman atang blue na penguin, hahaha! Kahit medu makulimlim puno pa rin ang bangka na nasakyan namin, sa pinkaharap kami nakaupo kasi akala namin masaya dun... Nagbyahe na ang bangka at since nasa unahan kami natatanaw namin ung nasa harap at to my surprise wala akong natatanaw na langit puro ulap, hahaha! Hinanda ko na ang sarili ko sa isang bumpy ride to Galera at ayon! bumpy ride nga, hahaha. First time naming magpunta dun na malakas ang alon, kaya nagtawanan na lan kami to ease the nervousness, hahaha! At dahil nasa unahan kami, e kami rin ang unang mababasa, ung gilid kc ng bangka may tabing na plastik kaya hindi nababasa ung nasa loob kahit tumatalsik talsik ang alon.

Itutuloy...

Coming up...

the food

the swim

the dawn