AIR PHIL EXPRESS SEAT SALE Sale Period from January 12 to 15, 2012

Air Phil Express

Sale Period: January 12 to 15, 2012

Travel Period: April 1 to May 30, 2012

* 10kg FREE Baggage Allowance

Details

• Quoted fares for Domestic and International Flights are for one-way only.
• Fares are with 15 kilos Free Baggage Allowance.
• Philippine Goverment Tax not included.
• Fare is not guaranteed until the final purchase.
• Subject to rules and conditions, please review carefully.

Domestic Destinations	One-Way Fare
Cebu to Butuan, Bacolod, Cagayan De Oro, Caticlan, Cotabato, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo, Legazpi, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, Surigao, Tacloban or Zamboanga and Vice Versa	P288
Davao to Cagayan De Oro, Iloilo or Zamboanga and Vice Versa	P288
Zamboanga to Davao, Jolo or Tawi-Tawi and Vice Versa	P288
Iloilo to General Santos and Vice Versa	P288
Manila to Bacolod, Calbayog, Catarman, Caticlan*, Cebu, Iloilo, Kalibo, Tacloban or Tagbilaran and Vice Versa	P688
Busuanga to Puerto Princesa and Vice Versa	P688
Manila to Singapore and Vice Versa	P888
Cebu to Hong Kong and Vice Versa	P888

Click here to book AirPhil Express now!

PNOY HOSTS NEW YEAR VIN D' HONNEUR IN MALACANANG

 

President Benigno S. Aquino III toasts with Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams during the 

  Vin D'Honneur last year at Rizal Hall in Malacanang. Also in photo is former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Rumulo.          (Photo by Marcelino Pascua-PCOO/NIB)

 

Pnoy's VIN D' HONNEUR is being held in Malacanang Palace today January 13, 2012.


What is Vin d'honneur?  Vin d'honneur is a reception usually following a particular ceremony, for example when an ambassador presents his credentials to the monarch.
 
Vin d'honneur literally translates from French to "Wine of honour" and is akin to a prolonged social celebration after an official ceremony. It traditionally takes place at the end of inaugurations, speeches, and ceremonies that marks the social life of the French provinces.

In the Philippine context, over the years it has come to be considered primarily a diplomatic event, which features a toast exchanged between the President of the Philippines and the Papal Nuncio, who is the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps (in Catholic countries or those that formerly belonged to the Spanish Empire, by tradition, the senior diplomat, or Dean, in in the diplomatic corps is the Papal Nuncio or ambassador, in other countries, the ambassador accredited to the country longest is the Dean).

It is taking place this morning, in contrast to the afternoon or early evening practice in the past. This year’s vin d’honneur is the annual New Year’s Reception hosted by the President of the Philippines as head of state, and by tradition, after the President plays host to Philippine officialdom and the diplomatic corps, other departments in turn host their own New Years’ receptions for their own officials and staff.

The rituals include guests entering the State Entrance of the Palace and climbing the main stairs, going into the Reception Hall where in the past, a reception line would have been formed. Guests are then escorted to Rizal Hall, the ceremonial hall of the Palace. The President of the Philippines then joins the assembled guests and proceeds to deliver some remarks, concluding with a toast to the prosperity and well being of the Filipino people.
President Pnoy offered a toast for a prosperous and peaceful and new year for all of us in 2011. 

Pnoy told the gathering that he shares the optimism of Filipinos in the coming year, citing more investments and jobs. 


Here is an excerpt from Pnoy's speech:

“Their optimism will be validated. This year, businesses will invest more in this country, creating new jobs for families. This year, government resources will be spent to uplift the lives of the poor. This year, the Philippines will once again be a voice in the world for freedom and fairness.

"There will be challenges ahead—from an uncertain outlook for the global economy, to a noisy minority who want to rekindle the malicious practices of the past. But if we work together, we will overcome the challenges and fulfill the promise of the year ahead. We have much to look forward to."

Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Edward Jospeh Adams, as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, gave the response and offered a toast, acknowledging the administration’s “resolve to tackle with determination and efficiency the urgent problems which confront the Filipino people.”

“Here in the country, we have followed with attention and interest the chain of events that have tested the democratic processes and capacities of this great nation. What has resulted has been a smooth transition to a new leadership, a leadership that asserted its resolve to tackle with determination and efficiency the urgent problems which confront the Filipino people.”

Among the spotted guests are Vice-President Jejomar Binay, members of the diplomatic community, Cabinet members, lawmakers, members of the judiciary, high ranking government officials, businessmen and two of the President’s sisters Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, her husband Eldon Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abellada and her husband Manolo Abellada, Senator Antonio Trillanes, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao, Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manolo Lopez, SM’s Teresita Coson, Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Senator Tito Sotto, former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Regal Film’s Lily Monteverde and daughter and producer Roselle Monteverde-Teo, AFP Chief of Staff Ricardo David, PNP Chief Raul Bacalzo, Senator Tito Sotto, Congressmen Erin Tañada, Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales and designer Paul Cabral.

CALL CENTER AGENTS BE PREPARED

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden take their seats as they hold a roundtable meeting on Insourcing American Jobs, Jan. 11, 2012 in the Old Executive Office Building on the White House campus.

President Obama with US Trade Representative Ron Kirk

The Obama administration is promoting insourcing of jobs.

Introduced by New York 1st District Rep. Tim Bishop, the proposed US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act seeks "to bar corporations that sent US call center jobs overseas from receiving federal grants and loans.

The bill requires overseas call center employees to disclose their location to US consumers and gives customers the right to be transferred to a US-based call center upon request.


President Barack Obama is highlighting companies that have returned jobs to the US and he says that’s one more way of putting people back to work.

The Philippines is concerned over the implication of a proposed bill in the United States that would withdraw incentives from American firms outsourcing their operations.

The Philippines is the top destination for call center operations, providing voice services. The call center industry is projected to have grown 18 percent in 2011 in terms of revenues to $7.1 billion employing about 406,000.

If U.S. owned BOP companies in the Philippines return to the U.S. it will affect more than half a million BOP employees commonly called Call Center Agents.


Let us hope and pray for this not to happen.

ANGELINA JOLIE AND BEAU BRAD PITT MET UP WITH US PRESIDENT OBAMA @ THE WHITEHOUSE JANUARY 11, 2012

Actress Angelina Jolie is seen in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 11, during a meeting with President Barack Obama.

Jolie, in a dark dress, and Pitt, wearing black framed glasses, spent several minutes speaking to Obama before he left aboard his Marine One helicopter for a campaign fundraising trip in Chicago.

 

According to a White House aide, “President Obama spoke with Ms. Jolie about her work to raise the profile of preventing mass atrocities and combating sexual violence against women.” 

Angelina Jolie was in Washington to attend the premiere of her new movie "In the Land of Blood and Honey" at the Holocaust Museum. The film is also her directorial debut.

 

 Photo Source: Getty Image and Reuter

Terminal fee for international flights at NAIA reduced

Good News, folks! Terminal fee for international flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will be cut to P550 from the current P750 starting February 1, 2012, according to the Manila International Airport Authority

How come it will be reduced?  It is because the five-years security development program lapses on February 1, 2012.

The MIAA, which operates the Manila airport, has put in place an additional P200 charge back in February 2007 to beef up security measures in the airport. That resulted in an increase in terminal fee for international flights from P550 to P750.

OFW's, foreign diplomats, athletes and sports officials, transit passengers, refugees, pilgrims, airline cabin crews and deportees are exempted from paying the terminal fee. 

                                                                                                                      Source: Business World

FENG SHUI 2012

Want to know the lucky colors, elements and charms this year?

Here is a directory of feng shui particulars for the Year of the Water Dragon, which starts on January 23, 2012. 

The list is made by Hong Kong-based feng shui master Joseph Chau Kam Shing.

Chau and other feng shui experts said that one must not rely solely on this ancient Chinese system. 

Please remember getting ahead in life still requires a lot of hard work and effort.

Below is Chau's list:

• Year 2012 zodiac sign: water dragon
• Commencement of the year: January 23, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.
• Formal duration of the year: February 4, 2012 at 6:22 p.m. to February 3, 2013
• Elements of the year: water (heaven stem element and supporting element), earth (earth branch element)
• Zodiac signs offending the Tai Suey (Grand Duke or Grand Deity), or the unlucky ones: dragon, dog, ox, goat and rabbit.
• Zodiac signs that must avoid burials: yin fire ox, yin earth goat, metal ox, earth dragon, golden dog and fire dog
• Lucky colors: gold, silver, white, sky blue, green, red, pink, violet, peach, orange, beige, yellow and brown
• Lucky charms for wealth: treasure bowl, vivacious prince of wealth, flying golden Pei Yau
• Lucky charm for career: jade dragonhead fish
• Lucky charms for safety: jade master protection pendant, safety medallion
• Health protection charm: health medallion
• Lucky charms for romance and relationships: romance bucket, brass happy couple, Mandarin duck
• Charm for overall luck: benefactor jade

                                                                                                                                             Source: Abs-Cbn

6th Spring Film Festival@ Shangri-La Edsa Plaza

Shangri-La Plaza together with Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies, Ateneo Celadon and Credit Suisse once again stage the Spring Film Festival to help and encourage the Filipino youth understand and appreciate Chinese culture.

This year’s festival will be offered free to the general public. Schools are welcome to bring their students for block screenings on a first-come, first-served basis.

Through the  Cultural Office of the People’s Republic of China, the 6th Spring Film Festival features six(6) films that cater to different age groups and audiences.

Here are the synopses of the featured films:

Ocean Heaven – Ocean Heaven is a family drama which features a father- Sam Wong (played by Jet Li), who is solely taking care of his autistic child- Dafu. Wang finds out that he has liver cancer and has a few days to live. Not only does Wang have to cope with his own suffering and impending death, he also has to deal with the heartache of leaving Dafu with no immediate family. This heartwarming film shows the challenges of being a single parent and how parents, even on their last days, would do anything just to ensure the safety and happiness of their children. 

Fans of Jet Li will definitely be surprised to see him in this non-Kungfu movie; this role won him the 2010 Wen Zhang Best Actor Award. The movie was also recognized by the Shanghai Media Awards, CCTV Movie Channel Media Awards 2010 and Golden Goblet Award. In July 2011, Li even named one of his charity projects as Ocean Heaven Project to help children with autism, cerebral palsy and other disorders.

Lost on Journey – A comedy film narrating Li Chenggong’s travel home, as he encounters a series of unfortunate incidents, to celebrate New Year’s Eve with his family. Li hops from a plane, to a train, to a bus, and to a boat in the desire to be with his relatives during the most important event of the year. And along the way, he meets a stranger, Niu Geng, who later helps him discover something important about himself and the goodness of other people. This movie is a funny presentation of how a stroke of bad luck brings two different worlds together.

Country Wedding- Tells the story of a couple about to get married. With their respective families getting so excited, their parents start to meddle with their wedding preparations. The bride’s mother insists on holding the wedding at a ritzy hotel in Beijing Central, the groom’s father, being the director of a cooperative in a rural village, feels indebted to the community, and wants to share the wedding with the whole village. The couple gets caught in between conflicting would-be in-laws. This film is a funny portrayal of the clash of cultures between the city and country side.

Confucius – Confucius, known as the “Great Sage”, lived during the time when China’s dynasties were in chaos and engulfed by corruption and greed. He strongly believed that ethics and education would put all things to order. His wisdom was sought by different dynasty leaders but he was abandoned after he dutifully served his purpose. The world knows so much of his teaching, but little is known of his hardships. This biographical drama shows the sufferings and pain Confucius endured and the principles he fervently kept that became the foundation of China’s ethics, morality and law. Starring Chow Yun-Fat as Confucius, Nominated for Best Actor at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards. Other nominations include Best Cinematography, Art Design, Costume Design and Original Song.

Bodyguards and Assassins – In 1905, Hongkong was under the British rule and revolution was on the rise. Sun Yat-Sen was set to land in Hong Kong to meet and to unify faction leaders to finally take down the corrupt and crumbling Qing Dynasty. Because of this, Dowager Cixi wanted Sun Yat-Sen assassinated. For the Chinese people who had been clamoring for freedom, they understood that protecting Sun Yat-Sen would mean keeping China’s liberation hopes alive. Li Yutang, a businessman, gathered a tofu vendor, rickshaw pullers, a beggar and an orphan to serve as bodyguards. These bodyguards displayed their superb fighting skills as they battled it out with the assassins to protect Sun Yat-Sen, whom they hadn’t even met. This action-historical movie garnered numerous awards from the 4th Asian Film Awards, 29th Hongkong Film Awards, 16th Hongkong Film Critics Society Awards and 47th Golden Horse Awards. 

King of Milu Deer- This 3D animation movie focuses on protection of the environment. It is a story of a white deer, Yoyo, who turned into a lady and made friends with Tzan-the prince of Kingdom of Clouds and Dreams. Tzan was ordered by the minister to search the Labyrinth Mountain to hunt for the Milu Deer to use it as a sacrifice to bring rains in the kingdom. But Tzan discovered the beauty of the Labyrinth Mountain and got closer to Yoyo. Together, they fought sea lizard monsters, fire, soldiers, and the evil Minister to save the wildlife and natural resources of the Labyrinth Mountain. This movie became the highest grossing Chinese Animated film of all time and received the Best Animated Film of the 13th Huabiao Awards.

Movie Schedule:

 

January 20, 2012 (Friday)
Country Wedding 1:00PM
Lost on Journey 3:00PM

January 21, 2012 (Saturday)
Lost on Journey 1:30PM
Confucius 3:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 6:00PM
Ocean Heaven 9:00PM

January 22, 2012 (Sunday)
Ocean Heaven 1:30PM
The King of Milu Deer 3:30PM
Confucius 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 8:00PM

January 23, 2012 (Monday)
Country Wedding 1:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 3:30PM
Ocean Heaven 6:30PM
Lost on Journey 8:30PM

January 24, 2012 (Tuesday)
Bodyguards & Assassins 1:30PM
Lost on Journey 4:30PM
Confucius 6:30PM
The King of Milu Deer 9:00PM

January 25, 2012 (Wednesday)
The King of Milu Deer 1:30PM
Confucius 3:30PM
Country Wedding 6:00PM
Ocean Heaven 8:00PM

January 26, 2012 (Thursday)
Lost on Journey 1:30PM
Country Wedding 3:30PM
The King of Milu Deer 5:30PM
Confucius 7:30PM

January 27, 2012 (Friday)
Ocean Heaven 1:30PM
Confucius 3:30PM
Lost on Journey 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 8:00PM

January 28, 2012 (Saturday)
The King of Milu Deer 1:30PM
Ocean Heaven 3:30PM
Lost on Journey 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 7:30PM

January 29, 2012 (Sunday)
Lost on Journey 1:30PM
Country Wedding 3:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins 5:30PM
Ocean Heaven 8:30PM

OTHER ACTIVITIES (2nd Floor, Grand Atrium)

January 20-29

Chinese Painting Exhibit by the Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students

January 22

Chinese Painting Workshops by Mr. Caesar Cheng and the Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students

For more information please call Ateneo Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies at 426-6001 local 5208-5209; 5280. 

For tickets, please call Shang Cineplex at 633-2227 local 113 or log in to www.shangrila-plaza.com Add Shangri-La Plaza on facebook: shangrilapalazaofficialfanpage

Like me too in Facebook Thank you! : http://www.facebook.com/travelonashoestrings

See you in the movies @ Shangri-La Edsa January 20-29, 2012. It's FREE!

Happy Chinese New Year!

About Us

About Us

My name is Cha Sy, a ruptured Brain Aneurysm Survivor. I blog because it makes me more productive than staring at the ceiling ( laughs ). It is more than a year now since a coil and stent saved my life. Thanks Dr. Francis Santiago! 

On my second life, I had to spend four (4) months on bed bath. Imagine my happiness when I was finally able to take a bath inside our bathroom. I underwent physical therapy and re-learned sitting, standing, maintaining balance and walking. If you see me now, you will never guess that only in 2011, I was on a wheelchair. 

Like most Filipinos, I love Manny Pacquiao, traveling, blogging and eating in no particular order.

My awards for 2012:

• Best in Food Blog at the Intramuros Bloggers Challenge. The very first food event I ever attended.
• People's Choice Award at the Intramuros Bloggers Challenge
• Best Blog post- Colgate-Palmolive via Nuffnang Contest
• Best Blog post- PLDT HOME

Awards 2013:

• Best in Blog Post: PLDT 85th Anniversary

For product review, event invitations, press release you can e-mail me @ travelonashoestrings@gmail.com

Smile every chance you have. Be happy and grateful for all the good things you do have and for all the problems you know you don’t have.

Food Blogger

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