I am one who evelieves that art is everywhere and can be anything. For graffiti artists, the city…read moreis their canvas. This particular wall strikes me, not only because it's right by an intersection, but because the two biggest pieces contrast with each other so much. The first one is a cartoon, with eye-catchig colors of predominantly green and pink, it gives off a silly feeling of happiness and fun. I guess I'm attracted to it because that's pretty much who I am. The second one is a topless woman, mostly in shades of gray and black, with colored patterns radiating from her. She has a strong facial expression and her arms have what looks like tattoos. To me, she is a woman brave enough the be herself and bare herself to the world. Pretty much who I want to be. Each one is beautiful in its own and I just had to stop and take a photo of each. Because art is love and is meant to be shared, here I am sharing it with you.

Chocolate Hills is a must see when visiting Bohol, Philippines. This natural attraction consists of…read moreseries of more than 1,200 hills shaped like chocolate kisses - hence the name Chocolate Hills. During dry season, the hills turn from green to brown, making them look even more like chocolate. These hills stretch as far as the eye can see and almost doesn't feel real. They're a breathtaking sight and perfect for those picture perfect moments while in the Philippines. There are several different viewing points for Chocolate Hills. They have one in Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan. Carmen has the main observation deck. One can reach the deck by hiking up 214 steps. It can be quite the hike but the top leads to some amazing panoramic views. Visiting Chocolate Hills was definitely one of the highlights of my visit to Bohol. This natural attraction is beautiful and amazing. I would definitely recommend visiting when in Bohol.

You gotta visit the Chocolate Hills in Bohol! It's truly an uncommon geographical landmark found…read morein few places in the world. We hired a driver to take us to the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, as it's located in the town of Carmen. Like most places in the rural parts of the Philippines, this isn't a destination that you can walk to. In fact, parking is limited, as it looked like most of it was reserved for tour buses. Our driver dropped us off and gave us a ticket where he instructed us to tell the staff at the info/sales booth when we were done, so he could be called to pick us up. Once there you walk up a flight of steep stairs, where there is an observation deck to see the Chocolate Hills. The flights of stairs doesn't take long to climb, but I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes. There's also a ramp up that you can take for part of the way up or down. Since it is a tourist destination, expect crowds. On a weekday for us though, it wasn't overly crowded, so we were able to find space to take pictures and view. The Chocolate Hills are nicknamed after Hershey Kisses, as during the dry season, the grass turns brown. There are over 1000 hills, and is maintained and protected by the government. For closer viewing of the Hills, you can rent an ATV to drive around the area. There's also a public restroom and some food/drink stands near the information/sales desk. If in Bohol, don't skip out on the Chocolate Hills, especially if you're visiting during the dry season.

Must visit if you're in the area on a Saturday morning. This market is held every Saturday morning…read moreat Jaime Velasquez Park in Makati. The market offers a wide variety ranging from Fresh produce, fruits , local Filipino snacks, seafood & a ton of food vendors. I loved the pumelo & went back to buy more. It gets busy so get there early. There's so much to choose from and wanted to try a little if everything. It's a great spot for a snack or lunch. Many vendors offer free samples. There are tables to sit but you can find a seat in the park to enjoy your food. I had a great time here. They also sell beautiful fresh flowers.

Just being here with all the plethora of food choices. In a setting right out of a movie, what more…read morecan you ask for. Considering you're in Makati a bougie neighborhood pricing is actually reasonable. They have everything, so I'm just going to tell you what we have. Puto bong bong made infront of you and Illocos empanadas fried fresh are the standouts. Just come here and take in life.

The St Joseph Parish Church, more colloquially known as the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Church, would be…read morejust another heritage church in a country teeming with heritage churches, if it wasn't for one key feature: The Bamboo Organ. The Bamboo Organ, as the name suggests, is an organ with most of the pipes made of bamboo. Built during the late 1800s, and repaired, restored, and maintained through the years, the organ is really something else to behold and to listen to. While the church and the museum is open daily, the best time to check out the Bamboo Organ would be around February, during the annual Bamboo Organ Festival, where renowned musicians from all over the country and the world fly in to take part in a truly special event. The Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Church anchors Las Piñas historical corridor, a small stretch of road filled with turn-of-the-century houses, buildings, and a plaza. It's nice to check it out after seeing the Bamboo Organ.

I have lived in Las Piñas all my life and have several reasons why I'm proud to say that I'm from…read moreLas Piñas. One of them is St. Joseph Church, more commonly known as Bamboo Organ Church. I remember having it discussed in school because of it's history and I'd always be proud to say that I've seen it and have heard the bamboo organ play. It's a relatively old church, with the façade looking like other churches built in the era when the Spanish colonized the Philippines. The floor is of clay tiles, has brown wooden pews, and is relatively dark inside. That is until the lights on the chandeliers and the lights at the altar are turned on. It's just such a beautiful altar! Pair that with the surreal, ethereal music coming from the bamboo organ and you are taken to a dreamlike, heavenly state.

The Bonifacio Arts Foundation, Inc (BAFI) is the core program that promotes the arts across…read moreBonifacio Global City. Throughout the years, we've seen art evolve along the streets of BGC. Some sculptures are already iconic in itself. It wouldn't be BGC without these sculptures or installations. About a few years ago, they started teaming up with artists both local and international to paint the town red. Okay, well not red. But make it colourful and make the city beam with life! It first started with colourful paintings on garbage bins. Then on empty lots, there were a couple of art installations by Japanese artists. In the past year, there were murals abound the walls already! It was so widespread that you'll realise that there's so much this city has to showcase. One of their remarkable projects is the establishment of The Mind Musem - the first word-class science museum in the country! It's not just visual art that we see in the city. It is also felt and heard especially in common areas such as High Street Central. If you ever happen to chance upon guys and girls in guitars or pianos singing their hearts out, it's one of their programs as well. Another great thing they did is they made the city photo-friendly. Nowadays, you'll see photography hobbyists and aspiring models come to the city and shoot to their heart's delight no matter what time of the day. It's really nice that people are starting to become open to different types of art.

It's amazing what an entrepreneur can do with a vacant lot…read more A few weeks ago, someone decided that the empty lot near the entrance to our section of Better Living Subdivision would be a nice place to put up an old-fashioned fair, or feria in Tagalog. It had the usual games plus one small Ferris wheel. As the weeks passed, we noticed that the fair was expanding, until a second ride was set up, and then a third. This community fair brings back memories of high school and college fairs, but instead of students its clientele are the residents of Better Living. Word spread that there was this fun spot along Wales street, and night after night they crowds come. The very big crowds come on Fridays and Saturdays, when the fair closes at the early morning hours of the next day. It's a very democratic feria. The rich, the poor and the middle class all enter. Ok, maybe not so much the rich. But all sorts of everyday people can be seen enjoying the simple pleasures offered by local fairs. I like the shooting gallery knowing full well that the barrels of the pellet guns have been slightly twisted to make hitting the targets harder. As for the Ferris wheel, it's just too low for my taste. I prefer the ones where you can barely see the people below. Someone said that this fair was a semi-permanent feature of Wales street. I doubt it. Fairs are ideal for summer, but when the rains come the crowds are likely to disappear.

When I want to buy local souvenirs, I usually go to Kultura Filipino or to Filipiniana. Both are…read morelocated in Makati, close to my place. And both offer all the traditional symbols of the Philippines - barong tagalogs, pinneaple fiber clothes and table runners, t-shirts, Mother Pearl picture frames, pearl and coral jewelry and so on. I particularly prefer Kultura Filipino, because I have the feeling it's better served. Actually I think the store is bigger. Anyway, I prefer it. But when I don't want to cross Glorietta to get to the SM building, I go to Filipiniana, inside The Landmark. I highly recommend it for those times you have to buy a gift for a foreigner friend or buy some souvenirs to your family when you go back home on vacations.

If you're a foreigner or balikbayan looking for authentic and inexpensive Filipino souvenirs and…read moregoods, you have to stop by the Filipiniana section of Landmark. The large section is dedication just for Filipino crafts, products and food and I love how you have so many options to choose from. I'm not a foreigner or a balikbayan and I'm not looking for souvenirs but I do love going around this section and buying things. I love being a Filipino and I'm certainly proud of our skills, talents, culture and food. In this part of the department store, you'll find any kind of souvenir you want. It's basically a one-stop-shop. You can find gorgeous handmade and local artisan crafted furniture, home accessories, jewelry, clothes, traditional costumes and even yummy Filipino food snacks like peanut brittle and the famous dried mangoes! I always bring my foreign friends and family members from the States to this store and they always buy so many things and come out of the store happy and satisfied.

Recently, a new community organization called The Block Party began hosting a series of fun pop-up…read moreevents in Makiling Park in Ayala Alabang Village. In this particular pop-up, you'll find lots of great food, artisanal and crafty finds that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. To add another cool element to the pop-up, a small "barnyard"/petting zoo where kids can play with some farm animals was also set up. Pop-up events have been taking place all around the city recently and personally, I think the The Block Party has been the most fun, family-oriented one of the whole bunch. It almost feels as if you're in a big party in a good friend's backyard. What I particularly like about the event is meeting the artsy vendors who were selling their crafty pieces, lovingly made by their very own hands. From posters to cards, to framed artwork and graphic novels, to leather goods and glassware made out of old bottles, The Block Party was filled to the brim with a lots of cool, creative finds. The organization has only put up two very successful pop-ups and with the turnout and success of the events, I only hope that they continue organizing the coolest block parties in the South.

I wanted to visit the oldest Chinatown in the world so we made a stop here on our trip. I figured…read moresince we were on vacation we needed to visit something historical. We took a rideshare from our hotel. We crossed the Jones Bridge then drove under the Binondo Chinatown Arch. We got dropped off on Ongpin Street and walked to the Binondo Church then stopped by Eng Bee Tin for Hopia. It was crowded but a fun experience. I'm glad we got to check out the neighborhood.

The World's oldest Chinatown! (MANILA Philippines)…read more We booked a van to drop us off at Lucky Chinatown Mall and came here on New Year's Day. From there we rode a tuk-tuk cart (a 3-wheeled gas passenger novelty taxi tricycle). That thing fit 8 of us inside plus the driver and his toddler so ten total). It dropped us off at Ongpin Street. I would've thought that the place would be empty because of the holiday but surprisingly many businesses and vendors were open. We came back a couple of days after and the streets had a more vibrant and bustling atmosphere. Ongpin Street in Manila is lined with restaurants and many shops including jewelry stores. There were many shops to pop into. You can find the Ongpin Northbridge Arch, and the Chinatown Welcome Arch and the Arch of Good Will at the end of Ongpin Street (cross-street Ronquillo Street). It ends on Juan Luna Street. Review #3287

The Plaza San Luis Complex is a charming commercial subsection of Intramuros right next to San…read moreAgustin Church. Made up of five reconstructed Spanish colonial era buildings, it reminds me of the shopping area around Mexico City's Zocalo, although on a much smaller scale. We walked around Plaza San Luis a couple of times during my trip to Manila, both to absorb the ambiance and to get lunch at Barbara's and shop for souvenirs. I didn't love the restaurant, but the plaza was lovely. There was a stone courtyard with an old fountain that was particularly attractive. If you're visiting Intramuros, make sure you drop by the Plaza San Luis Complex. I don't know about all the individual businesses, but the area is quite pretty.

I am embarrassed to admit that it took me almost 26 years as a Filipino to actually set food in…read morethis beautiful, historic place. I was lucky that someone was nice enough to take me here, as I am pretty sure I wouldn't have come across this place on my own. Plaza San Luis is a great representation of Spanish colonial architecture that luckily has survived and has been revived into a well-maintained establishment that houses smaller stores, a restaurant, and a museum. Those establishments do deserve reviews on their own, so I would really, really love to talk about how beautiful this courtyard is. It's amazing how this place has retained so much of its old-world feel, with all the plants, the fountain, the stone walls and floors--it's all in the details. It's no wonder that this place is now being offered as an events place that can be rented for special occasions. You can actually do a bit of exploring. You must go up the staircase and see the majestic view of the whole courtyard from the top. It's really beautiful. I really do hope that this place remains well-maintained and taken cared of. It's a gem of a destination that our history and culture cannot afford to lose.