What to do if you found your yaya on Facebook

Congrats, you found your first yaya on Facebook!

Not only do you save money from paying hefty agency fees, you most likely found the yaya of your dreams who will be loyal to your family, take good care of your child, and is literally a Godsend.

But wait, you’re afraid to take the jump.

You’re worried that there’s no employer referrals for you to base your trust on. You’re worried she might endanger your baby. You’re worried that she’ll wear your clothes and post them on Facebook. And you’re worried that she’ll steal from your family.

All of these are very valid concerns.

There are so many bad yayas stories out there that there’s a closed Facebook group called Bad Maids PH for all the bad yayas stories happening in the Philippines.

I have found yayas on Facebook. 

When my old yaya suddenly left last December 2018, I scoured online for her replacement. The first yaya Arlene stayed for 6 days. Here’s my post on how elated I was when I first got her.

I continued my search after she told me after 6 days of work that her husband had an emergency and she had to cater to his needs for 24 hours before returning to work. Despite initially agreeing that her first day off would be after a month of service, she asked me for an immediate day off before the week was done.

I asked her to pack her belongings, paid her for 6 days of work and asked her to sign a quitclaim. Attached is my quitclaim here.

The second yaya I found within 2 days.

Sharon was happy and optimistic, but couldn’t stand the hours. She said she had a headache and needed to cater to her daughter’s pageant. I think it was more of family reasons that she left. She called it quits in 11 days time.

The third yaya I found after Sharon told me that she wanted to leave, but would respect the 30 day notice period, which we had under contract. I once again looked online, and found Zeny on Facebook.

Here are my Top 10 Tips in Finding a Yaya Online.

Yaya Zeny is still with us and our daughter is happy with her. Her daughter took care of the pamasahe from Mindoro to Manila, and so far, despite being older, she’s a pretty decent yaya whom we entrust to take our child to school and back, feed her, and make sure she doesn’t die.

My instructions to a prospect yaya is very simple, “Huwag gutumin. Huwag walain. And huwag patayin.”

After three yayas found on Facebook, all I can tell you is,

1. Have them sign an employment contract as soon as they start.

Make sure that you discuss with them all the details of their employment and rules of your household BEFORE they start working for you.

Attached is the Contract for New Yayas for your reference: New Maid Contract – Generic.

Personally, my rules are very clear as follows:

• No cash advance, bale or padala pamasahe. Crying about a family tragedy won’t work in me giving them pautang. If there’s a family tragedy, we will help out of the goodness of our heart,  but not because they asked for it.
• No cellphones while on duty.
• No emergency day offs. Sundays as preferred rest days. They have to inform me a few days before when they will day off so we can arrange our schedules accordingly.
• Doing the laundry via washing machine are part of their job descriptions. There’s just three of us in the family and no ironing is needed. But I don’t like yayas who tell me that they should only be responsible in childcare and that’s it.

2. Observe them closely on the first few days. 

I always keep an eye on the new yaya when they first start. I look at their working attitude, eating preferences, etc. and determine if I like them or not.

We like going to the malls and the yaya chooses to chase after my daughter when this happens. I do NOT stupidly let the yaya take care of my child alone when she’s new.

I would accompany them, keep an eye on the yaya, and see if there’s any red flags I should watch out for.

I look at yaya’s body language and attitude to see whether she likes her job and my child. Some yayas only accept this job due to the high pay but care nothing of my child.

The best yaya is someone who will eventually hug and show true concern for my child. You can see it if you open your eyes.

Be wary of the yaya who keeps her distance from your child.

Only leave the yaya alone with the child without any supervision after you feel comfortable, and not before. If your mommy gut feel shows serious reservations — like there’s something wrong with the yaya — follow your gut feel and observe yaya even more.

3. Do NOT believe what the yaya tells you all the time. Trust only after it’s earned, NOT before.

Yayas will lie.

For example, when I was looking for yayas, I’ve had 3 applicants who told me that they would show up but didn’t.

Literally, you’ve already set the day and place and time of arrival, and for some reason or another, they do NOT show up. One yaya even showed me the photo of her packed belongings to show that she’s ready to start, but couldn’t because her child got sick.

It is useless to concern yourself about their excuses. Watch what they do, NOT what they say.

It is useless to argue with a yaya. If you see a yaya who do not do what they say, get rid of her and move on to the next applicant. If she can’t keep her word in the beginning, she will be like that in the future.

Stop worrying about useless things and just move on.

4. Terminate with pay if you don’t like them.

While it’s hard to find a yaya nowadays, you should not tolerate a yaya’s bad attitude and misbehavior just because you’re desperate.

Like for example, Yaya# 1, it was annoying for me that she asked for a rest day within 6 days of employment when it was clear from the get go when she should have her first rest day. I thought that she’s already taken care of the husband and her household before starting to work, but I guess I was wrong.

I was also okay with Yaya# 2’s leaving after she brought up her concern. She liked me, but she was not fit to be a yaya anyway. So as long as she carried out her 30-day notice period, I was fine with her leaving. In the end, I allowed her to leave at 11 days with pay, after I found my next yaya Zeny.

Make sure that you have them sign the voucher proving that they’ve received their last pay and a quitclaim. Here’s my quitclaim for your records. This is the QuitClaim – Generic word document.

Once they sign the quitclaim and get their last pay, exit them from your house swiftly.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you investigate their bags thoroughly and escort them out of your gate before letting them go. Accompany them when they leave your house.

Many yayas pack a separate bag and leave it by the gate. Once you check their bags, they then get this separate bag before leaving your house.

5. Repeat the process if necessary.

I have probably reviewed 30+ bio-data, interviewed more than 10 yayas and suffered many disappointments in a day before I found our Yaya Zeny.

Here were my notes on the initial few days — as you can see, finding a yaya takes a lot of time and effort:

These were the yayas I said no to after I interviewed them:

Like any endeavor, finding a yaya takes a lot of time and effort.

The biggest mistake any mother makes is to assume that you do NOT need to give a lot of effort, and a good yaya will come on its own.

“I will just wait for a referral para sigurado,” that mommy would say. They would pester you for referral and justify their lack of yayas by saying that all yayas are bad, and it’s better that she take care of her child na lang than to have a bad yaya.

Actually, there are many good yayas out there. You just have to go and look for them. If you do not make an effort, how can you find a yaya?

Years has passed and she alone is taking care of her child(ren) with no help in tow. Then she will just sigh and pat herself in the back for stepping up because no other yaya can take care of her daughter as well as she did.

I work. I don’t have that luxury. I need a yaya for my daughter. So I look and look. I make a career out of looking for a yaya.

As you can see from my notes, I put in the effort in looking for a yaya, scouring the Internet and agencies for them, interviewing them, and being disappointed when I don’t work out. I have good relationships with agencies since they also provide me with a good pool of yayas when I need them.

At the end of the day, I am almost always rewarded for my hard efforts. Thanks to God, barring Christmas season, I can usually find a yaya within a week of looking.

But that’s because I put in the effort.

Are you putting in the effort?

BONUS TIP: When you find a good yaya, take good care of them. The best way to find a good yaya is to not lose a good yaya.

I know in my heart that any yaya would be so lucky to start in my household.

We pay our yayas well. Treat them with respect. And are considerate of their needs without letting them be abusive of your kindness.

With us, they can really save money. Every yaya that came out from our employ always brought a lot more bags than they first arrived. Which is why our old yayas do ask to be taken back after they’ve left as follows:

Even though I was so desperate for a yaya, I didn’t ask her back. I tried to ask help from the agencies and scoured online to look for a new one.

And after many days of trying, we found our yaya.

I hope that this helps you in finding a good yaya for your child(ren). Good yayas are out there. All you do is have hope, make an effort, and try and try until you succeed.

Good luck Mommies!

Wife Advice: Support the Husband in all his Endeavors

We are all at the Manila Autosalon to support the husband.

He has a booth at the show, and we have come to give our full support on a Sunday afternoon.

I’ve asked my three year old to pass out pamphlets, and even yaya is there to help. There she is, passing out stickers and marketing collaterals:

Even my mother is part of the festivities. She’s in her 70s but so far, she’s still a trooper:

To be honest, I’m a bit tired.

I’ve been working 6 days this week and had experienced many discouragements at work. Today was a day I could zone out and let my mind breathe a little to try to forget all my problems.

But the Manila Autosalon is merely once a year. It’s the largest car show in the country right now and husband invested quite a bit of money on this marketing effort to promote his company’s new product, ECU reflash.

How can I selfishly insist that my wants and needs be met, instead of supporting him especially at this critical time? 

So we are all here to support.

We gather our strength, take a deep breath, and show up. Not only do we show up, but we really show up. We give pamphlets, buy the workers food and drinks and talk to customers.

Because my husband needs us, and with us there, work becomes an enjoyable family effort.

Who says that work and family should be separate?

Husband appreciates this.

He gives me a hug and tell me that he’s glad that we are here for him.

Sure, he’s tired too from four days of talking and entertaining customers. His feet hurt and his voice sore.

But at least we are all here, and he doesn’t need to worry about us anymore.

He doesn’t have to worry about our kid cause she’s here with us, nor does he have to worry about me because I obviously support what he’s doing. I know it’s for our sakes and his family.

What’s more, I don’t have to worry about him and his eyes wandering. Hahaha! There’s a lot of beautiful models at any car show… not that I’m ever threatened. 🙂

A beautiful car show model.

Later on, we will eat a late dinner as a family.

We will talk about our day, he will tell me about his achievements and I will listen to him and give him advice on how he can even do better next time.

Supporting him brings us closer.

We create more shared memories, and on the plus side, husband feels that we are more of a team.

And at the end, that’s what makes marriages stronger and deeper — the fact that you’re a team, working for a common good, building each other up and encouraging each other.

Rest can come next week. I can always find time to rest and recharge.

But my husband needs us. Given that we have a small business, he needs all the help he can get.

So we are all here.

“I’m glad I married you,” he said. “You make me a better man.”

And all of us are happier as a result.

Summer is Here! And so are Summer Classes!

Pre-school just ended this week, and summer has just begun. Apparently, my daughter has 3.5 months of summer break to enjoy before she resumes her regular classes.

Fortunately, so many people are offering a broad variety of summer classes. That’s why, I’m swamped with deciding which activity I am to enroll her. Yipee!!!

While money is no object (since many of the classes are affordable anyway), I have to be more selective on which class to enroll her since I don’t want to tire her unnecessarily.

I still do want her to enjoy summer as she’s only 3 years old. 🙂

Just in case you’re wondering, my decisions are based on five important factors, as follows:

1. Schedule for more convenient Logistics – The classes must fit each other.  I don’t want her classes to be all over the place.
2. Location – It still has to be graphically desirable.
3. Enrolling her must make sense on the type of person I want her to be – Sorry, but I don’t think I’d want her to be a ballerina, so ballet classes while cute, is a no go.
4. Talent – She must have a natural affinity for it. My daughter cannot draw and doesn’t seem to be interested in coloring so no art classes for her.
5. Reviews and Referrals – Which is why I picked two of her classes, CMA and The Reading Station. Both programs come highly recommended by my peers.

To be honest, her learning how to cook or to dance may be cute, but we don’t really think it’s that important at this time.

We can teach her how to cook and bake at home (or at least, wait until she’s a little bit older to appreciate it), and from what I heard, dancing classes at such a young age may not be optimal as other older kids may overshadow her.

In the end, I’ve enrolled her in the following classes, and I’m very happy with my choices. Here they are for your reference:

1. Swimming Classes: Aqualogic Swim Co.

My class of choice is from Aqualogic Swim Co.

Photo Credit: Aqualogic Swim Co.

Swimming is a very important life skill, and I think it’s important for a child to get over their fear of water at a young age. Aqualogic has a lot of venues available, and their Richmonde Hotel Ortigas class is set in an indoor heated pool (I like!).

Rates are also reasonable given how important swimming is as a skill to learn:

We are enrolling our daughter twice a week for the entire summer. It’s easy to enroll them. Simply text their numbers and they’re quite responsive.

To contact them:

Aqualogic Swim Co.
Tel: 0917-858 2782, 0917-703-6386, 02-703-6386

2. Math: CMA Mental Arithmetic

I wanted to enroll her at CMA ever since we conceived our child, but was forced to wait until she was 3 years old before we could enroll her.

This is the class that excited us the most. Why?

Watch and be impressed:

Here’s her assignment for Class 1 — Pairing builds up familiarization to the Chinese Abacus. Even my husband wants to learn how.

After seeing the kids compete in a CMA Competition in SMX, we were sold. We’ve been wanting to enroll her ever since. Can’t believe she’s starting now. 🙂

The rates are also reasonable for me:

Php 4,200 for 8 sessions + Php 2,500 for materials = Php 6,700.00 per month
Makeup classes: 2 classes

To inquire:

CMA Mental Arithmetic
East of Galleria Building, Topaz Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Tel: +63 2 584 9670, +63 917 568 6875
https://www.cma.ph/

3. Reading: The Reading Station

Self explanatory. I believe that books open up a lot of world for kids and so far, I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about The Reading Station. There are a lot of branches available, and I booked the branch that is closest to my husband’s place of work:

Taken from the website, here are the program details:

The Phono-Graphics Reading Program (COURSE LENGTH: 2 1/2 years to 3 years)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Phono-Graphics Reading Program also known as the PGRP is a course for Early Reading Literacy. With practice, training and discipline, goals are achieved.

The program is designed for non readers and emergent readers ages 3 1/2 to 7 years old.

Kids who are found to be more than 7 years old but with reading skills covered still in the program are accepted in the center.

Special emphasis is given to decoding, encoding, comprehension and early love for reading.

COURSE GOALS

• Early Reading (Decoding)
• Spelling (Encoding)
• Comprehension Skills
• Vocabulary Build up
• Sentence Construction
• Language Skills
• Basic Paragraph Writing
• Reading Discipline
• Very Early Love for Reading

Rates are a little bit higher but let’s try before we complain — Php 18,000 for 36 hours or 3 months program, at one hour per class.

To inquire, book for an assessment at the branch closest to you:

The Reading Station – Philippines
MAIN BRANCH
Unit C, 109 Scout De Guia, Brgy.,
Sacred Heart, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel: +63 917 100 5252  •  +63 2 358 3337
Branches:  http://www.trs.ph/branches.html
Website: http://www.trs.ph/index.html#about

4. Conversational Mandarin: Bless Learning Resources

This is the first time for me to try Bless Learning Resources but their summer program looks very interesting.

I talked to Teacher Eliza today, and was interested in their conversational Mandarin class. Ideally held 3x a week for the summer period for one hour per class, their conversational Mandarin focuses on words that are regularly used daily like:

“How are you?”

“What’s your name?”

“How much is it?”

It’s a great complement to her now Chinese classes at her preschool.

To inquire:
Bless Learning Resources
Address: 219-6 Biak na Bato corner Makaturing St. Brgy Manresa Quezon City
Tel: 560-4519, 0943-858-3211
Look for Eliza

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

I’ve stopped at enrolling my daughter at four since just these alone will give her a busy schedule with two varied classes per day. Here’s her schedule:

• Swimming: 2x a week, 1 hour per class
• CMA Math: 2x a week, 1 hour per class
• The Reading Station: 3x a week, 1 hour per class
• Conversational Mandarin: 3x a week, 1 hour per class

Overall, I’m happy with her choices. I know it looks like a lot, but it’s over a space of 6 days so it’s quite loose.

I will revisit this post after daughter finishes her programs to give you an unbiased review on how good these programs really are.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Mother’s Advice: Do NOT make your kids your world

I am a first time mom. 

Being a first time mom, I can see how easy it is to trap ourselves in being our children’s everything.

Even as a newborn, our kids are treated as kings and queens in our households.

We anxiously cater to our child’s every need.

I remember carrying my daughter and breastfeeding her while I’m at work because she simply refused to be bottle fed. My mom had to buy different brands of bottles to no avail, since my daughter stubbornly insisted that it was either my breast or nothing.

My Friend’s Story: Why She Felt Inadequate as a Mother

“Why can’t anyone sympathize with me?” my friend wailed. “Can’t they see my frustration in trying to do everything for my child?”

At that time, my friend said she had post-partum depression, stemming from the fact that my friend felt that she was an inadequate mother. The core reason was, she couldn’t produce any milk after she gave birth. This was a disappointment for her since she hoped that her child would be breastfed after hearing from many fellow mothers that breast was best.

Unfortunately, the child was not cooperative and refused to eat. So, she felt bad that despite her best intentions, as a mother, she couldn’t even feed her own child.

A lot of her problems stems from the fact that she was putting a lot of pressure on herself. 

All children are different.

Everyone develops and acts differently, and most of the time, many are uncooperative to what we believe they should act, feel or do.

Our fault as a mother lies in the fact that we put too much pressure on ourselves to act a certain way for the good of our child.

The child should eat pureed vegetables once she hits 6 months old!

Well, what if she doesn’t want to eat veggies?

My child should be breastfed!

Well, what if you don’t have any milk? Your child is getting thinner and she needs her sustenance.

They should be walking once they hit 1 years old!

What if they still can’t walk by that time? Would you rush her to a development pedia just to see what’s wrong with her?

Why is my child biting other kids? What’s wrong with me?

Well what if they still can’t control their feelings and this is how they show their frustration when other kids take their toys?

Why is my child not excelling in school?

Many kids are raised differently. The one kid that excels may be tutored every day. It’s not your kid’s fault if he/she is not outstanding this year. There are other years to consider.

We have to stop being anxious and start going with the flow.

Mommies, aren’t our LOVE enough?

Why do we pin our hopes and dreams on our children, and punish ourselves unnecessarily when our kids do not live up to our expectations?

Why do we blame ourselves first when things don’t go our way?

Why do we get sour and get mad at our husband for things beyond his control? Can we please stop telling them to be a parent as if we are the expert in being parents?

We are our kids’ mothers.

We love our kids.

When we love our kids, we should trust ourselves in doing the correct things for them already. When love is present, how can we go wrong?

However, when we stress about our childrearing skills, we create an environment of anxiousness and hostility. We take this out on the people around us, even though they’re not really the core of the problem. Then we feel guilty when we become bitches as a mom, as if we do not control the matter.

We were at Universal Studios Singapore the other day. I brought along our 3 year old with us, and we totally had a blast.

Sure, there were some rides that she couldn’t ride on. The Mummy had a height requirement so my daughter was forced to spend the hour with her grandmother.

When my brother and I took the ride and lined up for 70 minutes, we had a grand time bonding together, and I didn’t worry about my daughter, whom I knew was in good hands.

I was present with my brother when we were falling in line.

I enjoyed the attraction even though my daughter was not with me.

And when I came out of the ride, I saw that my mom was feeding my daughter some coconut and my three year old was playing, not knowing that she was abandoned for an hour while her mom was riding the roller coaster.

Did I have a blast? YES.

Did I feel guilty? NOT REALLY.

Did my daughter pout because I abandoned her? NO, She was having a blast on her own with her grandmother.

Did anyone care because I was riding while I was leaving my kid with someone else? NOPE.

Was the kid alive when I got back. Yes, definitely.

So I think Mommies can take it a bit easy. Trust that you’re being the best mom there is and let yourself go a little bit.

Sure, kids and motherhood can be very stressful.

It’s a new experience and nobody’s ever given us a handbook on how to raise good behaved kids.

We may feel abandoned and alone when we’re going through the process.

We may feel that nobody understands us and everything we do is merely for the sake of our kids.

But before we give our all to our kids, give ourselves some slack first.

Breathe, relax, and re-energize ourselves.

Especially as mother’s give everything to our families, it’s crucial that we also regulate ourselves that we do not deplete our sense of selves, because we’ve been so busy giving our everything to other people.

We should stop laying our expectations to our poor kids and husbands, and just focus on enjoying the process of motherhood, because it’s always so darn short.

We should stop thinking as other people as the enemy, and see them as our partners in taking care of our children. As I’ve said before, it takes a village to raise a child.

So here you go mommy. Here’s my kid to babysit and enjoy. Take her out, buy her toys, and spoil her to death.

I know that others love her and my child will be safe in their care.

I will not be swapang with my own child and keep her as my own.

Instead, while other people are taking care of her and ensuring that she is okay, I will enjoy my time, manage my business, enjoy my life, and still be a good mother to my child when I come home.

Motherhood is difficult as it is. So please, let us cut ourselves more slack.

As long as the baby don’t die, don’t worry. She’s in good hands so long as other people will take care of her.

We support you and love you.

Now leave the child with us and enjoy the ride. 🙂

Your child will thank you for it once you’re back and recharged.

Have a good week everyone!

What’s the best relationship advice you can give someone?

Reposted from my answer in Quora:

This advice has saved me from years of heartache: Always Mirror, Never Chase.

When I meet a guy, I always mirror his interest.

I wait for him to make the first move.

If he texts me, I don’t play hard to get. If I get a message, I give a decent reply.

There’s no playing games.

No waiting for hours before texting him back to show him I’m not desperate. No hee or haw when he asks me out on a date. If I am free, I say yes. Otherwise, it’s a no with a legit reason for saying no.

When guys know you’re honest, they appreciate that.

I don’t chase after a guy.

If he ghosts me after a date, it’s fine. I just shrug it off. When he texts me weeks later, I still reply. Until the time he ghosts me again, and then I stop replying.

This allows me to filter guys who are genuinely interested in me.

Guys who are interested keep on calling. Since they know I don’t play any games, they try to “get” me and block off my free time whenever they can. Apparently, my way of flirting is very refreshing so they keep coming back for more.

After a breakup, I don’t chase.

I used to chase and it was embarrassing. Not anymore.

After the breakup convo, I cry. In private. I go out with friends and keep my social media status calm and normal. Nobody knows how broken I am inside.

With the last guy I dated, I cried for four months.

He didn’t know. Nobody knew.

I was the sane girlfriend who didn’t go crazy after a breakup. Guys appreciate that. And I got to keep my dignity especially after I found out he had a third party on the side.

Keep it classy!

The two advice allowed me to date graciously without too much fuss. I always kept my eyes open and never really refused any date. I never assumed and just focused on having a good time.

Happily married now so guess it worked! 

Regardless, I look at every single guy I dated as a happy experience, and I am so glad I can look back at my dating history and be proud that I never really did anything that I now regret.

10 Practical Tips in Visiting a Singapore Hawker Center (Newton Park)

If you’re in Singapore, one of the more accessible hawker places is the Newton Food Center. Located at the MRT Station Newton, the Newton Food Center is a mere 3 minutes walk from the subway.

Merely go out of the Newton MRT Station via the Newton Food Center Exit (There are signs), follow the shaded pathway, cross the street and you’re there.

Newton Food Center is one of the most touristy hawker centers in Singapore. The prices are slightly more expensive than the rest, but some dishes are extra yummy, and I still think is worth a trip.

Photo Credit: Smart Local

Here are 10 practical tips in visiting Newton Food Center and to get the authentic Singapore hawker experience:

1. It gets really hot so wear light clothing: Shorts, Cotton T-Shirts, Etc.

Going to a hawker center is not the same as going to an air-conditioned fashion show. Prepare to sweat, line up, and mill with crowds from all income levels.

This was the scene on a Saturday night:

The place was full, full and FULL! It doesn’t help that Newton Food Center was featured in Crazy Rich Asians. Remember this?

Photo Credit: Crazy Rich Asians

It was hard to get a table especially with a bigger group (We were a group of 7-8 pax), but eventually we did if your eyes are keen and you’re willing to stand and wait for awhile:

Eventually you will get seats, but once again, dress down instead of up. It’s harder to wait when you’re in a neoprene dress and sky high heels.

2. Seats are actually free for all. 

You actually DO NOT have to order from the food stall in front of your seat even though it’s ideal.

My husband was pressured to order from the hawker stall in front of our seat and was somewhat scammed because the vendor insisted he had to purchase a minimum order to seat on the table.

This is NOT true.

You are not obliged to order from any specific stall if you sit on a table. Vendors know this so don’t feel pressured if you want to order from other stores.

3. Before ordering, make a one round trip around the hawker center to get an idea about what to get and where.

There are so many stalls to choose from at the Newton Food Center. It’s so easy to get confused and to wonder what and where to order.

However, a quick trip around the center shows a lot of redundancy. For example, despite the sheer number of stalls, the most popular food stalls sell the same food as the following:

• Chili Crab and Seafood with Baby Veggies
• Oyster Cake & Carrot Cake
• Chicken Wings and Satay
• Indian Food
• Noodles: Char Kway Teow, Prawn Mee, Fishball Noodle Soup
• Juices and Drinks

This means that many of the stalls serve practically the same food, and every stall actually has a minimum standard to taste, so despite the confusion, just pick a stall. Any stall. Given that it’s Newton Food Center, you’ll still be okay regardless of which stall to choose.

4. Despite the redundancy, some food stalls are more popular than others. 

This is what my local friend said about ordering in hawker centers:

When I asked my friend what to get, she said that most locals usually order in the stalls where the lines are longer. Their sense is that the more delicious the food, the more popular it is, hence the lines.

You can also do some minimum research on what type of stalls are more popular. Stalls are numbered by numbers posted on the signboard as follows:

5. Bring wet wipes.

Yes, there’s a clean toilet at the end of the Newton Food Center. There are a lot of washing basins too. It is in this area that you can also refill your water.

However, it’s safer to bring wet wipes with you especially when eating seafood. Better safe than sorry! 🙂

6. Stalls will deliver your paid ordered food to your seat, so REMEMBER YOUR TABLE NUMBER.

Every table has a number which you need to remember. It’s printed on the side of the table.

When ordering on multiple stalls, hawkers will deliver the cooked food to the table once you give them instructions on where your table is.

See? Check out the table number written on the plates that were delivered in our table #202:

It’s a lot easier than carrying plates of food. Just let them do it for you.

7. Never order food that does NOT indicate a fixed price.

My husband didn’t know and ordered the grilled tiger prawn from the stall in front of our table. They charged him SGD13 (Php 500) PER PRAWN, with a minimum order of 4 tiger prawns.

This was what Php 2,000 looked like — not only was it dry, it was also freaking expensive.

Locals will always tell you: Never order anything that’s not fixed price. The vendors may cheat on the weight of the food, and overcharge you on the order.

And of course, once the food is on time table, you have no choice but to pay it. Very important, only order fixed price items.

8. If you’re ordering a non-fixed price item — say, Chili Crab, make sure you determine the price first when making the order. 

Apparently, Chili Crab is worth SGD40-50 depending on kilo/size. While our tiger prawns was SGD 53 for four pieces, a Chili Crab will average around SGD 45-55 per order, which makes it very worthwhile to have:

Photo Credit: GastronomicWanders Blog

Indicate the total price to pay before ordering and paying so there’s no misunderstandings once it’s cooked. Order some delicious mantou to wipe the sauce with.

9. Almost everything was good: Here’s what we ordered from the best to the worst:

When you’re at the Newton Food Center, order the Cockles, Satay Sting Ray and Chicken Wings. They were the best dishes we had when we ate there.

This plates of Cockles (SGD 10/order) was cheap, and was the best dish we had along with the satay sting ray. It was best eaten with chili sauce:

Another best dish was the Satay Sting Ray worth SGD10-15 depending on the size. It was tender, perfectly cooked and very flavorful. Apparently, this is one of Newton Food Park’s specialty. Please order it:

The third best dish was the Chicken Wings, which was around SGD 1.4 each. Eaten with a dash of calamansi, the chicken feet rounded up the best three dishes at Newton Food Center:

Here were the consolation prizes:

Satay — Pork, Chicken, Mutton, worth SGD0.70 each (Minimum of 10 pcs):

Oyster cake worth either SGD6/8/10 depending on size:

Fried Dark Carrot Cake worth SGD3-5:

Char Kway Teow:

And Hokkien Prawn Mee:

 

For the drinks, the Soursop Juice is to die for. I would go over and over again for the Soursop Juice. My juice had bits and pieces of Soursop. Very authentic.

10. Out of courtesy, especially on peak periods, vacate the table/seats when you’re finished eating.

The busy Hawker Center is not the best place to hang out and make tambay especially after finishing your meal. Especially during peak hours, so many other guests are standing by and waiting for the next available seat:

If you want to talk to your friend, go to the coffee shop or the mall. But especially during peak hours, while it’s okay to eat leisurely, please vacate the table for the next guest to sit in once you’ve finished and somewhat digested your food.

It’s just the courteous thing to do.

Come and visit the Newton Food Center in Singapore when you visit Singapore. Start with this center first and go and visit the rest. It’s a great introduction to a hawker experience when you visit Singapore.

Newton Food Centre
Opens till 2:00am
Newton, Singapore

10 Practical Tips when Visiting Universal Studios Singapore if you have Kids 3 Years Old and Above

If you’re in Singapore, the best attraction to go to if you have kids 3 years old and above is a day trip to Universal Studios. It’s fun, something different and definitely an experience to remember. In short, it’s a great reasonably priced way to spend time with the entire family.

Here’s my top 10 tips on making a trip to Universal Studios especially if you have kids:

1. Go on a weekday for best results.

Universal Studios Singapore get very crowded on the weekend. If you can, go on a weekday.

We went on a Friday, and it was still comfortable. Sure, some popular rides had lines that last an hour, but it’s still better than to line up on a Saturday or Sunday.

2. Take a taxi if you’re coming from the city. Not the subway or Grab Car.

Interesting fact: Since Grab utilizes private vehicles, kids are required to use car seats if you’re bringing little kids. If you ride a taxi, not only is it equally safe, but car seats are optional.

We took a taxi from Orchard Road and it cost us a reasonable SGD 10 from Orchard Road to Universal Studios. The taxi drops you right by Resorts World Sentosa, which is a short walk to Universal Studios.

Given that we had one stroller, one naughty 3 year old kid and two adults, a taxi was a fine way to get around Singapore at an affordable price. No need for unnecessary transfers!

Added plus: Singaporean taxi drivers are a chatty bunch. I’ve had lovely conversations with all of the taxi drivers we engaged with this trip.

3. Take a souvenir photo at the Universal Studios Singapore globe.

Make sure that the globe spells “Univers” when you make that shot.

Yes, it’s okay to ask the other visitors to take your photo.

They won’t run off with it because it’s Singapore. 🙂

4. Buy your tickets via Klook: Less Lines, Zero Hassle 

We bought the tickets via Klook, and it was a breeze.

All you have to do is show your Electronic ticket by the door, and you’re in. No need to line up in the Singapore heat:

The more you buy, the more you save. The price is a measely Php 150 cheaper, but with the added credits earned when you’re a Klook user helps. When we bought for example, I used the code and saved HKD10.

5. Make sure your child avails most of the rides if allowed by height requirement. 

My daughter is 3 and she was able to ride most of the rides. The rides can be ridden based on height requirement, and my daughter was able to ride most of the rides except for Cyclone, The Mummy, and Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure.

Here were some of the rides that she partook as a 3-year old. My niece who was 6 months old pretty much stayed in the stroller, but a 3-year old girl can already enjoy most of the park.

6. Bring your own stroller. 

Save money from renting and simply bring your own stroller. You can hang your shopping on the side, or have your child nap when he/she gets tired.

There’s a designated stroller parking beside every attraction, and it’s perfectly safe to just leave most of your things unattended while you go on the rides. Just make sure to bring your money bag with you.

7. Take advantage of the SINGLE RIDER option especially with popular rides. 

Popular rides like Transformers The Ride (Sci-Fi City, F4), Revenge of the Mummy (Ancient Egypt, E2), and Jurassic Park Rapids Adventue (D5, The Lost World), and Canopy Flyer (The Lost World, D2) have the Single Rider option you can fully take advantage of.

If you go in via the Single Rider option, you are what we call the “Panakip butas.”

The Single Riders ride in USS is almost always surprisingly empty. Hence, it’s a great way to ride the attraction faster since everyone always takes the regular attraction line since they want to sit with their companions.

While most groups would want to ride together, Single Riders can be inserted in any group whenever there’s a seating gap in a ride. That’s why, this line is so fast.

At the peak hour, it only took us a brief 10-15 minute wait for Transformers. Whereas riding the Mummy on peak hour took us 70 minutes for the regular line.

No point with sitting together with your companions. Take the Single Rider line instead.

8. Make time for the shows, even though they’re a bit disappointing. 

Here’s the list of shows available at Universal Studios Singapore. Many of them run short — the Madagascar Boogie lasts only 10-15 minutes before proceeding to picture taking, but it’s worthwhile to catch them if you can.

Catch the Waterworld Show (1:30pm, 5:00pm and 8:30pm): It’s a classic and fun to watch, complete with fire and water special effects.

Is Shrek 4D considered a show? Please don’t miss it. It was really fun. The Donkey Live Show however was a bit boring and can be missed if you’re out of time.

9. Position yourself in New York by the Diner for the Parade at 7:30pm. 

We sat in front of the Spaghetti Space Chase Theatre (Close to the Diner) and was able to get an amazing view. of the parade which started on 7:30pm.

This position already signals the end of the line, which is most likely why this is the best position to watch the parade.

The parade only lasts till 8:00pm so it was super short. There were only a handful of floats that were presented, but if you are already there, might as well go. Selected Saturdays include fireworks, but going on a Saturday may not be worth it especially given longer lines.

10. BEST TIP EVER: Ride all the rides from 8pm!

After the parade, everyone was keen to go home and eat especially since many of the restaurants were already closed by that time. Hence, there were literally ZERO or minimal lines after 8pm. This was the BEST time to go around the park.

We left all our bags with our relatives by the Diner (Remember the 6 month old baby?), and ran all the way through all the rides.

From 8pm to 9pm, we were able to ride the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, Canopy Flyer, Revenge of the Mummy, the Puss in Boots Giant Journey, the Cyclone Roller Coaster twice, and the Transformers.

Given this new information, if you visit, go on a weekday, start late afternoon, and end at 9pm when the park officially closes. Ride what you can, but if the line is too long, wait until the parade finishes and ride the popular attraction twice or three times.

In summary, come and visit the Universal Studios Singapore if you visit Sentosa. It is a worthwhile place to go to for the day especially if you have toddlers in tow. The price is also reasonable given the quality of the rides, and if you live in Singapore, it may be worthwhile to get the Annual Pass.

Regular ticket prices is only SGD79. If you go to USS 2.5 times more, then it’s well worth your money already.

Universal Studios Singapore
8 Sentosa Gateway, Singapore 098269
Operating Hours: 10am to 9pm
https://www.rwsentosa.com/en/attractions/universal-studios-singapore/explore

Why I let my Mother Spoil my Daughter

My mother is in her 70s, and boasts of only two grandchildren — one by me, and the other is my brother’s 5 month old daughter.

Much to her annoyance, we married quite late, and while all her siblings has had numerous apos, many of which were sons, she’s just stuck with two.

However, despite not having that many grandkids, my mother showers my daughter with much unconditional love, toys and gifts.

After my daughter was born, my mom who lived elsewhere, would make a trek to my house at least twice a week to gawk and stare at my daughter. When daughter was older, she became more demanding, and the gifts from her loving grandmother kept on coming.

Mothers who believe in the Montessori method will shake their heads in disbelief. My house is full of my daughter’s toys, all bought by my mother for my daughter. She buys from 168 so it’s not that expensive, but since my mom buys ALL THE TIME, it all adds up.

The Marie Kondo method does not work on us, as everything for my daughter sparks joy.

Just last week for example, my mom took my daughter to Toy Kingdom.

After scouring the shelves and playing with the toys for free, my daughter managed to sucker her grandmother in buying the following:

“It’s only Php 1,200 a set,” my mom claimed. “Cheaper than 168!”

The problem was not that it was cheaper, or whether it was affordable for her. The issue was that I already have two kitchen sets at home — one wooden, and the other one plastic.

“But this has a different design!” the insistent grandmother exclaimed. “A small price for happiness!”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I let my mom buy my daughter a toy. This is them with their haul:

I only have one important reason in letting my mom buy this toy for my daughter —

My mom is happy to be a good grandmother to my daughter. Buying for my kid SPARKS JOY to my mom.

My mom is now 70+ years old.

Through the many years, she and my dad worked hard, made sacrifices, and held back on their purchases to ensure that my brother and I have a bright future.

The first time she bought something for herself was 6 years ago, when she asked me whether she should buy sports shoes as she never had a pair. It broke my heart to see my mom never having to buy anything for herself, as she has showered us kids with what should have been hers.

My daughter is just three. She will live longer than my mother.

Hence, my mom only has a few decades to live vs. my daughter. If my mom passes away earlier, my daughter will only have remnants on what type of grandmother she had. If that is the case, one of the best gifts I can give my daughter is that she is unconditionally loved by her grandmother.

My mom has a few years to spoil my child.

Twice a week visits will NOT spoil her as my child lives in our stricter household.

But I do not want to deprive my mom from the joys of grandparenthood. 

At the end of the day, our children is ours. My mom is merely borrowing my daughter for a few hours and together, they make each other feel good.

I let her spoil my child now and then. That’s one of the best things of being a grandkid, and a grandmother. It will NOT kill me to let them have their fun.

Here is my mom and my daughter with their haul, walking hand in hand, happily back to the carpark:

I will not be annoyed because she spoiled my child for Php 1,200. It’s just money. And I don’t want to be the killjoy to them both by muttering and complaining to her that she’s spoiling my child.

Instead, I will bask at these photos, seeing them walk hand in hand, knowing that my mom loves my daughter, and my daughter loves her back:

It’s heartwarming and well within my control to give. And this is why I let my mom spoil my child, and let my child sucker my mom.

It won’t be forever, and it’s best to leave your kid with fond loving memories of the grandmother who loves her to death. Because that’s one best gift we can give to our children — the love of the grandparents.

Have a great week ahead!

Business Chronicles: 15 Steps on How to Register your Company at the Philippines Securities & Exchange Commission Online

A lot of people are asking whether it is easy for a person to register a company at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

You may be happy to know that the SEC has modernized, and registration of a company can be done usually online. Here are the 15 steps on how to do it from your home, with minimum fuss:

1. To register your business online,  log on to the Securities & Exchange Commission Website: http://www.sec.gov.ph/

2. Move your cursor to Online Services. Click on SEC Company Registration System.

3. Create an Account. Here’s a short clip on how to create an account:

4. After creating account, please log in using your account.

5. Check the name of company if it is available. If it is available, you can continue with the registration process. If unavailable, choose another name.

6. Make sure all fill up is 100% complete. Here’s how to add the company details:

7. When it is 100% complete, you can now print the downloadable forms of Cover Sheet, Articles of Incorporation, By Laws & Treasurer’s Certificate.

8. After printing it out in A4 document size, have the documents notarized. Notarization cost Php 50 to Php 200 per document.

9. Upload the notarized documents into the SEC Account.

10. Wait for the SEC to notify and email you when it is ready for payment. This usually takes around 2 weeks. For our company, it cost less than Php 10,000.00.

11. If you received the order of payment thru email, you can now pay it to SEC directly. Bring a 4 copies of each of the documents.

Office of SEC HEAD OFFICE
Secretariat Building, PICC Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, 1307
Trunk Line No.: 818-0921

12. After payment at the cashier, deliver the hard copy of documents to the receiving area.

13. After the SEC received your documents, upload the Official Receipt to your SEC account.

14. Follow up and call them after 2 weeks.

15. If the SEC Certificate is ready for pick up, you can pick it up and the other received documents from the SEC office using your Official Receipt in the releasing area.

Here’s the details of the Security & Exchange Commission:

http://www.sec.gov.ph/contact-us/

8 Tips when Visiting Manila Ocean Park

My daughter is 3 and there’s not a lot of places that a child that age can go to, except for the mall’s play places.

Fortunately, there’s Manila Ocean Park, which is a decent place for a day trip for kids of all ages.

Here are eight valuable tips BEFORE visiting Manila Ocean Park for a more pleasant experience.

Tip # 1: If you are going to Manila Ocean Park, look at the various deals available for the season. Metrodeal does NOT offer the best value for your money.

I bought this Manila Ocean Park deal — Ocean’s Sky Wonder: Enjoy 10-in-1 Attractions at Manila Ocean Park for P799 instead of P4100.

Deal Highlights:

• Experience the ultimate Manila Ocean Park adventure as it levels up with Ocean’s Sky Wonder, which features 10-in-1 attractions for the whole family to enjoy
• Enjoy day and night fun and excitement with attractions and shows at Manila Ocean Park featuring:
  • Oceanarium
  • Trails to Antarctica (Penguin Exhibit and Christmas Village)
  • All-Star Bird Show
  • Symphony Evening Show
  • Birds of Prey Kingdom
  • Barnyard
  • Birdhouse
  • Sharks & Rays Dry Encounter
  • Penguin Talk Show
• The Oceanarium is home to 14,000 marine creatures from around 277 species, all indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
• At the heart of the Oceanarium is a 25-meter long, 220-degree curved walkway tunnel with a spectacular underwater view of amazing sea creatures swimming overhead
• Interact with little creatures like hamsters, rabbits, and chickens. Learn how these small animals make huge contributions to the planet in The Barnyard
• Be surrounded with hundreds of colorful Budgies in the Birdhouse. Watch them fly around you and have a chance to feed them on your hands
• Sharks and Rays Dry Encounter allows you to touch stingrays in Acquatica’s outdoor pool without getting wet
• Trails to Antarctica features a walk-through exhibit of the frozen continent, live Humbolt penguins and a festive Christmas Village
• Birds of Prey Kingdom features one of the most stunning coastal raptors in the country, the Brahminy Kites (Haliastur indus) in their unique bird sanctuary
• All Star Bird Show showcases the beauty and intelligence of our fine-feathered friends in a highly entertaining show for the whole family
• Watch a display of huge water fountains as the Symphony Evening Show ignites the night sky with larger than life distinct characters from the sea
• Experience real-time digital puppetry in a theater setting at the Penguin Talk Show. Get a chance to interact with Hamboo the Penguin

I thought I was getting a greater and cheaper deal. However, when we arrived in Manila Ocean Park, we saw that you can buy the following deals on the spot:

A short analysis comparing the different packages to the Metrodeal’s Php 799 deal showed that depending on the season, sometimes, the Metrodeal is better, and other times, buying onsite is better.

Looking at the different rides, here’s the deals available for the park onsite ticket for the period of December 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019 vs. Metrodeal’s Php 799 “promo”:

Depending on the rides which you want, I would have simply just bought the park’s complete package worth Php 995.00, vs. Metrodeal’s Php 799, as I will pay only Php 200 more, but will get 4 to 5 more attractions, including entrance to the World of Creepy Crawlies, Super Toy Collection and Fish Spa.

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Tip # 2: Go on a weekday, NOT on a Sunday.

I didn’t heed my own advice, and this was the crowd when we went after lunch on a Sunday.

It was FULL of people — lots of field trip groups and families last February 3. I have been to Manila Ocean Park multiple times, and it was never this crowded. Luckily, Manila Ocean Park is becoming a hit to Filipinos everywhere, and is a good day place to visit for people of all ages.

It was hot, crowded and slightly uncomfortable. In Ocean Park’s defense, the crowd thinned out when we left at around 4:30pm.

Still, why go on the peak hours if you can go on a more relaxing less crowded pace?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tip # 3: No need to stress and pre-plan the itinerary. Just go with the flow of the park. Following the route, you will still see all attractions even if you have no map on hand.

When you arrive and buy your tickets, you just have to follow the park’s flow to see all the attractions. From the expansive park entrance,

The first attraction you will see is the Birds of Prey exhibits on your right. The attraction allows you to view and take photo with the Philippines national bird, the Philippines Eagle.

In other ocean park’s, you have to pay extra for the photo. Here at Manila Ocean Park, it’s Free, so take advantage of a photo session with our Philippines eagles:

The next attraction is the Oceanarium.

Warning: This is not the Hong Kong Ocean Park, so please manage your expectations accordingly. The Oceanarium is slightly hot (maybe it’s crowded) and requires strong AC. There are also a lot less varieties of fishes vs. other ocean parks. But for Philippines standard, it’s fine.

When you enter the Oceanarium, you are first treated to a cool Jungle Trek where you see a lot of hanging plants, large fishes and a live crocodile/alligator who at the time of our visit was getting a water jet massage by the waterfall:

It’s not a large amount of space, but the park manages to keep it interesting by allowing you to go up and down the stairs and see many different things as you go along.

Then the proper Oceanarium, where there’s a lot of tropical fishes to look into. Not as much as Hong Kong’s, but at least, enough for the regular Filipino visitor.

The Living Ocean exhibit inside the Oceanarium was a highlight of the visit, as such ability to walk through the “ocean” is something special for the Filipinos. The park brochures calls it:

At the heart of the Oceanarium is a 25-meter long, 220-degree curved walkway tunnel with a spectacular underwater view of amazing sea creatures swimming overhead

Here you can see various types of sharks:

And you can even pay extra to walk among the big fishes. If you plan to do so abroad, just do it here at the Manila Ocean Park.

Cheaper price, better service, and the team at Manila Ocean Park does its best to accommodate special requests.

For example, a friend of mine pulled off a surprise proposal at the Manila Ocean Park. The girl was there with family, and the guy was there in the water wearing scuba diving gear to propose to her.

It was very romantic, and done at a reasonable price.

Extra wonderful: She said YES! 🙂

At the end of the exhibit, you can place your hand in this open aquarium to have fishes clean your hand. Something worth a try.

Perfectly safe, just a nice sensation overall.

You can also have very nice photos taken on a less crowded area of the aquarium.

Following the Oceanarium, you have to go up the stairs to go to the Fish Spa. 

When we went, it was CROWDED with people.

However, if you were lucky enough to not go on a weekend and there weren’t anyone around, the Fish Spa is a great place to relax and clean your dirty feet.

Right beside the Fish Spa are some token cars that the little kiddos loved.

We spent a good half hour trying the few rides and relaxing. At this point, you are now mid-way finished with the park.

The next attraction is the Trails of Antartica, where you can view and take photos with the handsome penguins:

Our friends from Hong Kong were surprised that the park charged only Php 500 for a printed photo of visitors (Max: 4 people) feeding and taking photo with the penguins.

It was a complete steal especially since Hong Kong Ocean park charged a LOT MORE for such souvenir.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So Tip # 4: When you are at Manila Ocean Park, pay the Php500 and take the photo with the penguins with your family as a souvenir.

It’s worth it. Quality was terrific for the price.

The Festive village at the end of the penguin attraction was a downer. There was no real snow compared to when it first opened, and its snow making machine was reduced to a single workable machine which churned out small tufts of snow:

Oh well, you didn’t go to Manila Ocean Park for the snow, right? So can’t complain since this isn’t the right venue for snow watching anyway.

Tip #5: Buy from the Park Souvenir Shop.

At the end of the exhibit was the park’s Souvenir shop.

I kid you not — the selection was quite extensive, and the prices uber reasonable!

A large seahorse pillow cost only Php 800.

A blue toddler shark backpack put us back only Php 300.

The T-Shirts I think was less than php 300 each!

Almost everything in the Manila Ocean Park souvenir shop was of decent quality sold at a reasonable price. I would strongly suggest you buy souvenirs at the Manila Ocean Park gift shops as they’re really a great bang for buck.

Here we are, very much delighted with our purchases.

We then moved on to the next exhibit, which is the Jellyfish exhibit.

This exhibit was significantly smaller than when the park first opened. What’s more, there was a limited variety of jellyfishes exhibited.

However, I love jellyfishes and can stare at them for a long time. Hence, it doesn’t really matter to me that it’s smaller, but that it was part of our ticket.

Tip # 6: Rest and buy food and drinks inside the park.

Compared to other parks, the Manila Ocean Park offered an extensive number of food and drinks available at a reasonable price.

It’s not like Disneyland where all you had to eat where turkey legs and fries, and you had to pay for an exorbitant amount of money just to get your grub.

At the Manila Ocean Park, you can buy food and drinks at mall prices, and they won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Hence, you don’t need to bring your own food at the park. All you have to do is bring a small bottle of water, and buy the rest of your snacks at the park to rejuvenate.

Tip # 7: Go and see all the live shows.

We didn’t follow our own advice since our companions were already super tired after the jellyfish exhibit. For your information, here are the attraction’s showtimes so as to plan a better trip.

However, if you’re not tired, I strongly suggest that you not miss out the live shows prepared by the park:

They are delightful and interesting. Just too bad we had to give it a miss, because our visitors were poofed.

Tip # 8: Visit the Manila Ocean Park with your family.

It ain’t the best park in Asia, but for the price you have to pay for the enjoyment, it’s pretty good for the buck.

There is parking available —- we paid Php 40 tip to the guys outside the park — the tickets are reasonable, and everything inside the park is not expensively priced.

The park is still in the Philippines so you have to manage your expectations but when all is said and done, it’s still an afternoon of fun at a huge price cut from other parks around the world.

EXTRA: Additional itinerary suggestions if you’re going to Manila Ocean Park in the afternoon:

Option 1: Tour the Old City Intramuros or do a Binondo Walking Tour in the morning, and then Manila Ocean Park in the afternoon. Here are some tour options we’ve tried and like:

• Manila for a Day with Dustin: We highly recommend their 3G: God, Gold, & Glory Tour
• Carlos Cedran Intramuros Walking Tour: Email him at celdrantours@hotmail.com
• Binondo Food Walking Tour
• Slum Tour: Smokey Tours: We visited Baseco and it was an eye opener for us.

For dinner, I would take our foreign guests to any of the nearby Filipino restaurants:

• Barbara Heritage Restaurant: With Dinner and dancing. Highly recommended. Please make a reservation.
• Aristocrat: An institution. Please make sure to order their BBQ Chicken with Java Rice, and Pancit Canton. Also order their halo halo, sago and gulaman, and their buco juice.
• The Singing Cooks atbp: Where the cooks and waiters seranade you as you eat
• You can also do a Manila Dinner Cruise if you wish.

Hope you can make time to visit Manila Ocean Park. I’m glad we did. For more details, please do not hesitate to call the park at:

Manila Ocean Park
Pasay Boulevard Manila
Phone: (632) 567-7777 loc 118, 119, 123
Website: http://www.manilaoceanpark.com/