Café by the Ruins

We went to Café by the Ruins in Baguio City for the first time last Friday the 13th day of January 2011. 

Café  by the ruins

This is what you will see at the entrance of Café by the Ruins.

When you turn right at the entrance you will be welcome by this.

Crispy Tapa

Tofu Salad

We wanted to sample the Carabao Milk which cost P120 per bottle but we changed our mind. We will just try it the next time we go to Baguio.

Choco-late de Batirol

We spent one lazy Saturday afternoon @ Choco-late de Batirol located at Igorot Garden near Gate 2, Camp John Hay, Baguio City. 

 Choco-late de Batirol is not like those air-conditioned restaurants you commonly find in Manila.

You are like inside a rainforest @ Choco-late de Batirol.

 The flooring consists of pea-sized gravel. The chairs and tables are all made of wood. 

If you are wondering what Batirol is.  It means a small pot used for cooking chocolate drink, shaped like an urn, with a stirring rod that can be rotated using your palms /chocolate pot /chocolate pot maker.

Choco-late de Batirol is a hot, thick, bittersweet blend of Cacao with a distinctive texture that calms your nerves and enriches your soul. An ancient choco-late concoction with no preservatives.

 My brother ordered Cold Batirol Choco-Banana Flavor.

I ordered the famous Cold Batirol Baguio Classic. I like it very much!

I love their Palabok! It's very delicious. Pancit Palabok is a Filipino noodle dish of Chinese origin. It is called palabok because the thin rice noodles are covered with a bright colored orange shrimp-flavored thick sauce. Aside from the sauce, pancit palabok has a toppings of prawns, wedge cut hard-boiled eggs, chicharon (pork cracklings), flaked tinapa (smoke fish), fried garlic and chopped of green onions. Then finished it with squeeze calamansi (Philippine Lemon) all over.

The delicious Turon de Langka comes in (3) three pieces per order. Banana lumpia or Turón is a Philippine dessert, made of thinly sliced bananas (preferably ripe plantains), a slice of jackfruit, dusted with brown sugar, rolled in a papery wrapper and fried. Brown sugar is further added while frying for additional sweetness.

  Verdict: Expensive but they're very delicious. Two thumbs up!

Zest Air Sale Period from January 13 to 16, 2012

Zest Air

Sale Period: January 13 to 16, 2012

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• For phone booking and more information, please call 855-3333 or visit your favorite travel agent.

Domestic Destinations	One-Way Fare
Manila to San Jose, Mindoro, Virac or Masbate and vice versa	P488
Manila to Busuanga, Calbayog, Iloilo or Kalibo and vice versa	P588
Manila to Legazpi, Bacolod, Catarman or Cebu and vice versa	P688
Manila to Marinduque, Tagbilaran, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban or Tablas and vice versa	P788
Manila to Davao or Cagayan De Oro and vice versa	P888
Travel Period: January 14 to March 31, 2012

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CEBU PACIFIC SEAT SALE January 12 to 15, 2012

 

Cebu Pacific

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Domestic Flights	Go Lite Fare
Cebu to Butuan, Cagayan De Oro, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Siargao, Surigao or Zamboanga	P288
Davao to Cagayan De Oro, Iloilo or Zamboanga	P288
Cagayan De Oro to Iloilo	P288
Manila to Butuan, Cagayan De Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Surigao or Zamboanga	P888
Travel Period: February 15 to May 31, 2012
International Flights	Go Lite Fare
Manila to Kota Kinabalu	P888
Manila to Brunei	P1,088
Manila to Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur	P1,988
Travel Period: February 15 to May 31, 2012

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

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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
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Manila to Singapore and Vice Versa	P888
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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