It's a Holly Jolly Christmas

Hello there! The holiday season has kept me too busy to write anything. My sibs and I’s new business venture has made me all tied up this last quarter of the year because we have to learn everything ourselves from inventory to marketing which was quite overwhelming for all of us not to mention the holiday rush. My sissy and I decided to decorate our house for Christmas quite late this year which was sometime around last month. Last year, we decked the halls as early as October if I’m not mistaken.

This year, we decided to name our Christmas theme ‘Winter Wonderland’ which consists of only four simple (but festive) hues: Silver, White, Teal & Blue as it was quite easy to put together and 'simple' often goes a long way. Everything was pretty much Pinterest inspired as usual since we’re on a budget because we still have to buy presents and all. We decided to DIY pretty much everything by using most of our Christmas ornaments from last year and we just bought white and blue spray paints, throw pillow cases, few yards of white faux fur, blue Christmas lights and last but not least, additional blue shimmery ornaments for touch-ups instead of turning into a hoarder and keep on buying new ornaments every year right? Anyways, I’ll be adding links here in case you want to decorate your house next year on a budget or is vying for the blue, silver and white theme as well. I know the holiday season only happens once a year but it’s still best to make it count and make it worth remembering.

Last year our theme was gold, red and green with a little rustic and shabby chic feel so this year we were inspired by the winter season which does not happen in a tropical country like ours so why not travail to the north pole or east coast this time eh? The theme also extended to our dining hall which has always been the focal point since that is where the Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinner will be held of course. Surprisingly, we were able to pull it off and we're happy with the outcome even if one of my sibs threw in quite a few off colored placemat pieces which almost ruined the whole ensemble lol. Good thing the DIY-ed blue ribbon and silver and blue twigs I cut off from one of the tree ornaments saved the day.

Anyhow, it still turned out to be one of my favorite Christmas dinners even if it’s just the three of us because it’s also my twin sister and I’s first Christmas as vegans! Our other sib isn’t vegan so our Noche Buena menu comprised of both vegan and non-vegan dishes. My twin sister came up with the menu whilst I did the cooking and last minute touch ups for the table setting then our other sissy shopped for the Christmas toppers/ornaments. We did our ingredients shopping separately since one of us three isn’t vegan yet although we’ve been inoculating her for a while now hehe. And oh, we also bought a kilo of faux meat from the vegetarian center (yes it’s the only place that sells them here otherwise online) because we have to at least have one viand and the rest were pasta, graham float, etc. We used the faux meat for the Afritada, coconut cream mixed with confectioner’s sugar as a cream replacement for the graham float and of course canned fruit cocktail. There are actually tons of vegan holiday recipes you could come up with and it’s not true they’re all pricey because you always have the liberty to pick the not so costly ones as there’s always a vegan counterpart for everything, you just have to research online or ask you’re vegan friends.

Even if t' was just the three of us for Noche Buena, my sibs and I still decided to push through with our little Kris Kringle thingy and waited for 12MN to open our presents for each other just for kicks since we do it every year anyway. We had our Christmas dinner as early as 7PM and watched tons of Christmas movies to stay awake until midnight. We had our wish lists written on a piece of paper so that our 'Secret Santas' won't have a hard time. My twin sister gifted me an emoji pillow whilst our elder sister gave me a cute Unicorn notebook which would be oh so useful for someone like me who often jots things down. Nevertheless t' was still a holly jolly Christmas! 

Check out my Vlogmas !

The Truth About Franchising

Every year more and more Filipinos are quitting their 9 to 5 jobs to either work from home or venture into business in order to spend more quality time with their families, travel and have the liberty to work at their own time and pace. I quit working for BPO companies three years ago to work from home and completely disassociate myself from the ‘matrix’ where the rest of the workforce is currently stuck because of the strong resolve to fend for themselves and their families. I don’t know any other jobs after I quit the only industry I was stuck for over a decade yet I never felt any remorse but freedom and jubilance after I left the BPO industry. It’s like an ache in my chest I’ve been wanting to free myself from for many years. Work is a drag and I do not intend to come back to the same industry I’ve endured working for many years because of all the stress and strife I’ve been through with companies who only made themselves bigger and richer not to mention the hazards of working in graveyard shifts, not worth it, totally not worth it.

Going back, working from home did not really work out for me because I was accustomed to working in a fast paced environment and my heart wasn’t into it so my siblings and I decided to join forces and invest in a small time business to keep the money flowing and growing and so we thought about franchising. If you’re reading this and is looking to put up a business or invest your hard earned money into something profitable then better read on and learn from my experience. My family is inclined in the lodging business, therefore, venturing into the food business is completely new to us. We have zero experience and knowledge other than the information we found/researched online which all seemed encouraging and as easy as 1,2,3.  We thought since we have zero experience in the food business, why not tie up with a company or better yet franchise so we don’t have to worry about everything, all we have to do is invest and learn about the ins and outs of the business. 

Food carts sprout like mushrooms every year, some are small whilst some are associated with big-time networking companies which we regret went with hoping that big companies will take care of us all the way through. Mind you, we did NOT just pick a franchise company out of thin air.  We did our research for months and inquiries and my sister and I even put our travel plans this year to a halt to really focus on this new business venture of ours and after thorough research and online inquiries, we finally picked a franchise company we want to be in partnership with. I personally conversed with one of their marketing specialists/agents to inquire and even scheduled a meeting in haste because we were really eager. We stumbled upon I AM WORLDWIDE (IAMWW) on Facebook and found they have a satellite office where my siblings and I are based. IAMWW is the same company which owns a number of franchise/food carts such as Mang Siomai, Hong Kong Fried Noodles, Dumpling King just to name a few so imagine how squeamish we were to own one of their food carts because they already have a name established as far as franchising is concerned and we’re scared as hell to come across bogus franchise companies because of the capital at stake.  So, going back, we met up with one of their marketing agents, discussed the products, crew training, market, the return of investment and stuff and we were truly inoculated because of all the ‘good stuff.’ We were advised that some of their franchisees earn as much as 20-30k per month the least and that they will pretty much take care of everything because they already have a product supplier, crew training and that someone will help in terms of finding a location for your business although it’s not inclusive. We were convinced at first of course because everything sounded really convenient on our part, the investor. However, things did not turn out the way we expected after we already made our payment as we came across all unimaginable difficulties we did not anticipate not to mention much bigger incidental expenses. 

The franchise cost less than P100k as it’s bundled with Health and Wellness products (overpriced coffee, slimming juice, etc.) however the biggest expenses will go towards the exclusions such as business permits (which you have to process yourself), rental space, materials for the cart such as paper cups, trays, initial frozen stocks, food picks, etc. We regret we did not go with ‘better companies’ who will already provide you with pretty much everything from materials, stocks, location down to manpower because to sum up how much we spent, it pretty much cost the same as paying for bigger franchise companies and trust me, it will balloon. My siblings and I endured all the stress scouting for business space and we felt totally alone right after we paid for our franchise in full not that we’re not aware of the all the exclusions because we do. We just felt like we were ditched like hot potatoes after we paid for it in full (take note, we paid in full and not on a deferred basis) because we always had to follow up everything from the contract down to the exact release date of the actual food cart. It was really dealt with poorly because the marketing person we transacted with, after getting her commission (yeah, it’s networking after all) barely contacted us hadn’t we asked for updates first. We felt disregarded and neglected for a first-time franchisee. We’ve been misinformed in terms of the food cart release date which we only learned days before it’s actual release/delivery date. We endured all the ordeal and sent countless emails to their corporate headquarters which I doubt franchisees are expected to do as there should be a Liaison Officer or someone to mediate between the corporate office and not us, the investors ourselves. This is when we regret why we invested with IAMWW in the first place, we should’ve gone with bigger franchise companies and saved us all the hassles and stress dealing with incompetent people who only care about their commissions and were always late during business meetings.

My advise, if you’re serious about this whole franchising thing, go for bigger companies wherein all you have to do is invest or better yet NOT franchise at all like most entrepreneurs are saying nowadays, come up with an original business, pay for a patent and go for it if you have enough capital, to begin with anyways and save yourself from all the dramas of dealing with franchise companies.  And oh, do not expect you will earn as much, to begin with as promised and be ready to fail because that’s how you will learn. And most importantly, never give up and innovate on your own to keep your business afloat. Just a reminder, avoid dealing with networking companies because their main concern is to make their clout bigger and increase their downlines, they don’t have genuine concern about your welfare but their own, it’s all about money baby! If you have good management skills, do not franchise. I do not intend to change anyone’s mind, my point is to share my experience and this is reality, do not be conned by franchise companies and their flowering marketing agents’ pitch because, in the long run, it’s still YOU, the investor who will decide. 

Applying for a Business Permit (Sole Proprietorship)

Note: Applicable to Sole Proprietorship businesses only otherwise SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) if more than one owner/corporations. Make sure to bring along an envelope/folder and a pen so you don’t lose your requirements. These steps only applies if it’s you’re first time to own a business under your name. Be as early as possible because the Baguio City Hall is open as early as 8AM. 

DAY 1

Get an application form from the Permits & Licensing Division and fill it out. Make sure to bring all the original and photocopies of the following documents below in case they ask for one. In this step you should already declare the  start-up capital amount for your business (how much you shelled out for the business in general roughly). The higher you declare the more you pay as you go along in processing your business permit of course. You will also be asked questions regarding the nature of your business, what you will be selling/products etc. You application form stays at the Permits & Licensing office but don’t worry they will furnish you with a checklist which indicates where to go and what to do next. Quite organize actually.  Please bring the following:

• 

  The easiest to apply as it can be done online. 

  DTI certificate is the easiest to apply. You may pay for it online via GCASH OR through Bancnet accredited banks but if you’re not online savvy better yet visit your local DTI
   office and prepare 3 possible business names. You may already secure one even before you find a place for your business/business address.

• Barangay Clearance which cost depends on the type of business. I was charged P300 for a food cart.  You may secure one provided a business address is already available. 

• Contract of Lease which indicates how much is your monthly rent (if leasing only). The cost of  the monthly rent for your business is also significant when it comes to how much the City Treasury Office will charge you. 

• A Sketch where your business is located.

• 1x1 ID picture for the Health Certificate Application form.

This is the first thing you have to accomplish

provided you already have a business address.

1. Go to the Planning office - the person at the desk will have a look at your location sketch, requirements and ask you where exactly the business is located, products you will be selling again (yes they will ask you over and over again in each and every step if I’m not mistaken) and they will visit your place of business the same day or maybe whenever they are not busy (in my experience I learned they visited the same day). 

2. CEPMO (City Environment & Parks Management Office) - Their office is downstairs from the Planning Office. They don’t ask much except the nature of business and the employee will just write down the date in you checklist form and encode something in the computer.

3. CBAO (City Building & Architecture Office) - Located inside the one-stop-shop place they call where people get their Cedula (CTC) just pan your eyes to the right and you should see a short bondpaper with CBAO printed in bold letters. In this step you will just furnish a photocopy of your Contract of Lease and the lady will encode something in her computer. 

4. RPT (Real Property Tax - Treasury) - across from the CID (Campaign & Investigation Division) office. You will be asked if you are renting an apartment/house or if you own one/real property related questions then she/he will check something in the computer and you’re off to the next step. 

5. CID (Campaign & Investigation Division) Office - I learned from this office that they already visited my place of business the same day I was processing my business permit. I was then advised to sit down for an interview and referred to the lady at a separate desk. The lady asked me about the start-up capital, products I will be selling for my business and possible price ranges, if I will be hiring an employee, when will the business start such as tentative date etcetera, then I was asked to have my checklist signed by the third person in charge and then have it checked again by the 4th person in charge downstairs. 

Business Permit

6. BHD (Baguio Health Department) - I did not enjoy this step quite frankly because it’s the most exhausting one plus it consists of sub steps.

-First off, the BHD desk at the Baguio City Hall is only available from 1PM-5PM (Weekdays excluding Holidays of course). It was morning time when I came by that's why there was no one there. I was told the person there won't be available until 1PM so I was advised to go directly to the Baguio Health Center located in T. Alonzo. You will be asked how many employees you will hire because the employee/s will go through the same process as the business owner, the stool sample, xray & seminar.

-Baguio Health Center - I filled out an Application Form for the Health Certificate and attached a 1x1 ID picture (Indicate if NEW or RENEWAL, your details such as your name, address, age, name of business etc.) and have the same person who handed you the form to sign it. BUT, it doesn’t end there, you still have to produce a stool sample, xray and attend a seminar. 

What you will be asked to do as per the form:

a. Submit a stool sample (refer to the form from the Health Center that you filled out)

b. Chest XRAY (w/ plate, CD, if done outside and not at the Baguio Health Center)

c. Short clean nails - Make sure you’re not wearing nail polish or you have to take them off like I did just to get a signature (I know how ridiculous it sounds but I had to). I even bought a nail polish remover and cotton balls at the nearest mini-grocery form the Health Center geez. 

Note: The Baguio Health Center kiosk outside only accepts stool samples from 8AM-10AM (business days of course) and you should take you stool sample there within 30 minutes from the time it was taken or it’s useless. If you took your sample at home and you live far just tell them it was taken less than 30 minutes ago unless you want to go through the hassle of producing one again LOL, just a tip though and as long as it wasn’t taken the day before. As much as I want to finish everything in just one day I can’t because I feel kind of grossed with the whole stool sample thing. It’s a pet peeve actually even back during my pre-employment requirement days. I understand the whole point of it, it’s just that I always prefer urine sample or blood test over stool sample. 

-It’s ok to buy your own stool container (P10-15.00 usually, the more expensive one has its own scooper/spoon) and it’s alright as well to have your stool sample (Fecalysis) taken to other diagnostic centers near you and so as the Chest XRAY. I had mine done at the ADMC in Assumption road and the Fecalysis cost P150 (30 minute rule applies with the stool sample) and the Chest XRAY which came with a CD, a photocopy of your right chest XRAY along with the result paper only cost me P270. For the stool sample the result is out in 30 minutes and you just wait for your name to be called (in case that didn’t happen just approach the nurses at the cashier/counter). 

-The XRAY result is often the day after and just ask for the time you could pick it up. Make sure to bring with you the entire brown envelope of your XRAY result when you go back to BHC the next day because the doctor will ask for the photocopy of your right chest and the computerized result from the clinic or diagnostic center where you had everything done. 

DAY 2

-I would suggest to head straight to the Health Center and not visit City Hall anymore with all your test results (Fecalysis/XRAY & Clean Nails) because you will be advised to head straight there anyways. You only go back to City Hall once everything is already finished and make sure your check list is complete beforehand. 

-Head straight to the basement and go to the XRAY window to have your chest XRAY result validated/stamped.

-Pay for the Health Certificate upstairs (P25.00)

-Go to the desk (with the wide-opened door) where the nurse is to have your nails checked. The nurse will stamped/sign your form afterwards. 

LAST AND FINAL STEP: 

Attend a seminar which will be conducted at the Health Center as well because if you don’t you won’t be able to get the Health Certificate. The seminar starts at 8AM (Weekdays excluding Holidays) and lasts for roughly 1-2 hours. No seminars in the afternoon.

DAY 3

I decided to attend the Seminar on a Monday so I can finally finish the last and the final step. I waited along with my sister outside the Health Center as early as 8AM and we were allowed in on the dot. The attendees were instructed to go to the 3rd floor for the Seminar. It was a glass room filled with chairs and many windows and a projector screen. We were roughly 20-30 people if I’m not mistaken and the seminar started quite late but it was alright since there’s not much to discuss but basic stuff about proper food handling and dangers of improper food preparation. It was definitely informative of course. We were required to write our names down on a logbook, a 15 item quiz thereafter and some already got their certificates (pre-employment mostly) but for businesses you just have to fill out a small green form, attached a 1x1 ID photo and wait for your name to be called at the Sanitation office which is a room with sliding doors to your right, near the stairs also on the 3rd floor where the seminar was held. You will be given two forms: one small green card and a work permit form. If it's for business, then, no need to accomplish the bigger white form. Getting your health certificate is easier if it’s for a business permit. 

Back to the City Hall...

One-stop-shop

-I took my small green form from the Health Center along with my Health Certificate and all of my requirements to the City Hall and headed straight to the one-stop-shop BHD counter, had my Health requirements checked and I was finally told to go to the Permits & Licensing Office. You will be asked again how many employees you will hire so be consistent because they want to make sure your employee goes through the same process (stool sample, XRAY and seminar).

Permits & Licensing Division

-I was told to go to the Fire Bureau/Station across to acquire a Fire Safety permit and so I did.

Fire Station 

(Add: 1 Corner Abanao and Kayang Streets, Baguio (across from Baguio City Hall)

-Look for the sign that reads 'business permit'

-Be ready with your assessment form (the one with the computations and the ‘most expensive one’ you paid for at the one-stop-shop). They will assess how much you will pay for based on your declared assessed value of your business or something like that. I paid less than P150, waited at the releasing section for the Fire & Safety permit and went back to City Hall (Permits office). 

Releasing of Business Permit (finally!)...

-I handed all my forms and requirements at the Permits & Licensing office, waited a while and finally got my business permit which I so long worked hard for 3 gruelling days AMEN. 

+_+

So, what’s my take on this whole business permit application process? It was still faster compared maybe to Manila of course because Baguio is a small place and everything is pretty much just around the corner. I’m just hoping that someday, since the City Hall already has a ‘one-stop-shop,’ why not keep the Health Center close by perhaps so people don’t need to hop from one place to another just to get things done to save time because at one point I wished I could just teleport because it was such a hassle quite frankly. BHD should also be more clear and precise when it comes to what people should do next by possibly handing out a piece of paper which would detail the steps one by one because it was honestly confusing if it’s your first time applying for a business permit. The BHD process perplexed me the most. Just an FYI, the BHD kiosk is ONLY available Mondays to Fridays (excluding Holidays) 8AM-12NN at the Baguio Health Center and 1PM-5PM at the one-stop-shop (Baguio City Hall) so don't go to the City Hall in the morning if you're in a rush because there's no one there at the BHD desk.

Anyways, let me just give a quick rundown how it works (Health Certificate Application @BHC) and just a heads up you may need to allot 2 days to accomplish everything.

• Head straight to the Health Center (BHC) once done with everything you need to accomplish at the Baguio Municipal Hall (steps 1-6) to get your application form with your 1x1 ID picture at the entrance. Fill it out and return it back to the same person you got it from. 
• I would suggest to already bring your stool sample with you (taken within the last 30minutes) so all you have to do is to have your Chest XRAY done the same day. You may only submit your stool sample between 8AM-10PM (business days) at the desk to your left near the entrance where the nurses are.
• BHC has its own XRAY facility if I’m not mistaken although there are tons of diagnostic centers in the area. I don’t know how long it takes for XRAY results but I guess it would depend on where you had it done. I had my Chest XRAY done at the AMDC and I picked up the result the day after so I am not sure if there’s a way to finish both tests in just one day.
• If you are able to submit your stool sample at the nurse's desk before 8AM then that’d be perfect because that means you’re hitting two birds in one stone since the seminar also starts at 8AM. DO NOT BE LATE or you’ll be advised to attend the next one which is not scheduled until the next day. 
• Pay P25 for the Health Certificate (1st floor). Please do this once you’re done with the seminar. 
• Make sure your nails are clean and short and if they are just head straight to the door with the sign that reads ‘animal bite’ something  (sorry that’s all that I can recall lol) with your health certificate application form to have it signed (also on the 1st floor).

Expected expenses for the following:

• DTI  Certificate               P545 more or less
• Barangay Clearance      (cost depends on the line of business) less than P500
• Business Permit            (cost depends on the start-up capital)       
• Cedula/TCT                   (no need to get one yourself as it will be attached to your forms) P5.00 varies
• Stool sample                  P150-200 approximately
• XRAY                              less than P300
• Health Certificate           P25.00
• Fire & Safety Certificate (cost depends on the business assessed value) only if applicable*
• BIR  (I'll add updates on this one)

Kudos if you’re able to finish everything that you need to accomplish at the BHC in just one day because that means it’ll only take you couple of days to accomplish your business permit application so good luck! :)

September

We’re close to the final quarter of the year which means the Yuletide season is just around the corner. I’m always looking forward to Christmas, the most festive time of the year where everything sparkles. It’s just sad my country was recently marred by super typhoon ‘Ompong’ which badly devastated the northern part of the Philippines, what a rueful nature's wrath.  

I was complaining the morning after typhoon ‘Ompong’ started lashing because our ceiling collapsed from excessive rain water (thank God no one was harmed) but felt ashamed for ranting after what I saw on the news. A lot of our countrymen did not only lose their homes but family members and friends due to landslides and deep flood water which submerged everything they have. Let’s face it, the local weather reports/news did not fall short in terms of warning everyone. I was even surprised for consistently receiving emergency text message updates from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) pretty much every after a few minutes for emergency notifications. 

My heart goes out to everyone who lost someone before they were even able to celebrate Christmas. To those who weren’t affected by this calamity  let’s help in whichever way we could or by contacting local government units to see how we could be of assistance. Little help could go a long way. My sisters and I decided to donate used clothing hoping it would be useful to another family who lost everything, their shelter and clothing. Let’s also bear in mind how badly the farmers were affected by typhoon ‘Ompong’ which resulted to a sky rocket in the prices of root crops, vegetables and fruits, it wasn’t their fault. If we are ranting, let’s think about the farmers who tilled the land yet barely earned/reaped anything out of what they sow because of the damage the typhoon has caused to the crops. Let’s help each other, ranting isn’t bad as it's our way of release, but, it will not really help, prayers would.

Rainy days and Netflix

Oh My Venus

(오 마이 비너스; RR: O Mai Bineoseu, 2015)

Oh My Venus is a Korean romantic-comedy TV series first aired on the 16th of November 2015 and lasted for three months (last air date January 5, 2016, 16 episodes) which starred award-winning actor So Ji-sub (one of my favorite Korean actors who also topbilled one my favorite Korean flicks ‘Always’ which hit the theatres back in 2011 if I’m not mistaken) and Shin Min-a another popular soap and movie actress in Korea. 

Kim Young-ho a.k.a John Kim’s (So Ji-sub) first encounter with Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-a) was on a plane bound to Korea when the latter collapses for wearing a very tight corset to hide her flabs and yeah funny how it seems but it went into a life threatening situation hadn’t Kim Young-ho came to her rescue since he’s the only person aboard the plane with medical background. Just a fast throwback,  Kang Joo-eun used to be a heart throb during her high school days because of her beauty and enviable figure.  Kang Joo-eun had a boyfriend Im Woo-shik (Jung Gyu-woon) for 15 years, a former national swimmer who broke up with her and started hooking up with her former best friend Oh Soo-jin (Yoo In-young). Going back to present, Kang Joo-eun is now a successfull lawyer (the injustice that happened to her father served as an impetus for her to become a lawyer), 33 years old with quite a weight gain, lost her self-esteem and stopped caring for her body by binging in comfort foods. 

So Ji-sub

Kim Young-ho contacted Kang Joo-eun once again concerning her luggages because she was sent to the hospital as soon as their plane landed in Korea and Kim Young-ho took care of her luggages. Kang Joo-eun learned about Kim Young-ho’s true identity and the reason why he’s back in Korea and sort of blackmailed him if he will not help her lose weight. Kim Young-ho found out whilst Kang Joo-eun was in the hospital that she has Hypothyroidism that’s why she’s always tired (and fainted during one of their work out sessions) and is having extreme difficulty losing weight despite the rigorous exercises she’s been doing. Kim Young-ho felt pity for Kang Joo-eun after finding out she’s a very selfless woman who neglected herself because of her resolve to help her family financially what more after her boyfriend of 15 years, Im Woo-shik broke up with her. In the process Kang Joo-eun met and became friends with Kim Ji-woong (Henry Lau) an energetic Harvard grad/Joon-sung's manager and Jang Joon-sung (Sung Hoon), an MMA fighter alias "Korean Snake" personally trained by John Kim Young-ho a.k.a John Kim. Fast forward Young-ho and Joo-eun fell in love, the now beautiful Oh Soo-jin (she used to be an ugly duckling and unpopular during her high school days) came into view and coincidentially became Joo-eun’s boss who unfortunately hold a long time grudge towards her after Joo-eun set her up with an asshole geek and thought Joo-eun did it on purpose to make her look like a fool.

Sorry for these spoilers but Kim Young-ho and Kang Joo-eun got married, she lost weight and gained it back due to pregnancy. Oh Soo-jin forgave Kang Joo-eun after knowing the latter was eventually unaware of the things she accused her of and that she’s not after sabotaging her relationship with Im Woo-shik since she’s happy with Young-ho. Kim Young-ho revived his relationship with his father after being estranged for so long and it was a happy ending after all. Don’t worry I did not completely spill all the beans because it was a lengthy series believe me, 16 episodes for 1 season?! Oh My Venus was worth the watch because of the endless twists and turns. So, if you’re looking to binge watch Oh My Venus on Netflix make sure to finish it. And oh, I'm glad this soap shed some light on Hypothyroidism because it is an uncommon autoimmune disease which causes sudden and inexplicable weight gain amongst women. It's good that before someone gets judge for gaining weight it's best to get to the bottom of things first to know what causes weight gain and not always associate it right away with over-eating.

Now let’s switch to another Southeast Asian country, India.

Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan is popular actor in India with tons of blockbuster movies in his sleeves. I first saw him on the movie PK, a 2014 Indian satirical comedy-drama about an alien who went to earth to fulfill a mission. I thought he has weird yet cool eyes because they’re huge and green (?) if I’m not mistaken which is quite unusual with asian men unless bi-racial of course and he isn’t. Also, what caught my attention was his muscular physique which is again not so common with Indian movie actors as he would pass for a fitness coach or a body builder and I meant that as a compliment. Anyways, I recognized him on this Indian movie Secret Superstar, wherein he played the character of a known womanizer who became the mentor of a budding young Indian Muslim female singer named Insu (Zaira Wasim) who became popular after posting a video of her singing on YouTube wearing a niqab. Insu wants to elude the typical life in which most young Indian girls are forced to which is to get married as young as 14 years and be void of their right to education and the privileges that sons are auspicious to benefit from. The film also dwelt on other social relevant issues in India such as the prevalence of domestic violence and lifetime effects of illiteracy amongst young Indian women as a result of marrying at a young age. 

I don’t particularly like Indian horror movies because I find them too lengthy with excessive beating around the bush BUT their dramatic movies wow-ed me because they always have serious social ’issues’ to tackle and I really appreciate that they’re now using cinema as a venue to give voice to women who are considered as the ’weaker sex’ in their conservative culture along with their resolve to fight for equality by reaching out to a larger audience both locally and globally and I mean, isn’t this the true purpose of film-making, to send the message across more than entertain? Indian drama flicks never cease to move and amaze me every time. With that having said, my sissy and I decided to watch more movies with Aamir Khan on it because one or two is just isn’t enough since I found a sense of feminism in most movies he’s in. 

Dhobi Ghat

(2011, Indian Drama Film)

I first heard about Dhobi Ghat during my stay in Singapore as it was one of the names of the train stations there (except it was spelt ‘Dhoby Ghaut’). Anyhow, I learned from the film Dhobi Ghat that, the word actually means a public laundry area which is usually a river-bank. Aamir Khan topbilled this movie as Arun and portrayed the role of an anti-social artist who had a rough marriage and a son who was taken by his ex-wife after the divorce. During the opening night of his exhibit he met Shai (Monica Dogra), a banker from New York on a sabbatical in India, the two had a night-marish thing but Arun did not reciprocate. Coincidentially the two had a common acquaintance, Munna (Prateik Babbar), a dhobi or washerman who works for both Arun and Shai. 

Shai became friends with Munna and became more interested after learning that he’s also Arun’s dhobi. However, Munna is attracted to Shai but the latter is interested in Arun. It was actually a love story with social relevance to it as it also touched on poverty and the gap between people from various social classes.  Arun by the way found a box with quite a few tapes inside and a ring which he also drew inspiration from in making his next art/masterpiece. He decided to watch tapes inside the box and found himself engrossed. The ending was a cliffhanger because Arun moved to a different apartment after realizing his current dwelling place was a muted witness to a suicide of a young woman who filmed her every life from the time her husband bought her a video camera down to her last recorded video prior to her suicide (by hanging). On the other hand, Munna decided to elude Shai but she was persistent to talk to him and In the end he also gave Arun’s new address to her which I think is a symbolism that he’s ready to let her go. 

And last but not least off my Aamir Khan movie marathon, Dangal (pronounced as Dang-gal) which is a movie about women empowerment in India and breaking free from the cultural norm and stereotypes. 

Dangal

(2016 | Indian Hindi-language/biographical sports drama)

The story was narrated by Omkar, Mahavir Singh Phogat’s nephew which an autobiographic movie about his life as a wrestler and his strong determination in turning his daughters into world renowned first Indian female wrestlers. Mahavir quit his wrestling career due to poverty. His father made him choose between his wrestling career or money and he chose the latter. He prayed for a son for years to pass on his legacy but he was blessed with six daughters instead which dampened his spirit and made him give up his dream of having a child who would pursue his dream of becoming an international wrestler. One day he went home with complaints from his neighbors because their sons were badly mauled. Looking at the neighboring boys’ black and blue faces he scolded his nephew outright but was shocked to know that his eldest daughters Geeta and Babita battered the teenage boys. Mahavir was delighted to know that not just one of of his daughters may still pursue his dreams but two of them.

Mahavir started training his daughters despite the mockery from everyone in his village for training girls in a sport they believe only belongs to the male specie. Geeta and Babita were both on the verge of giving up because of mental and physical exhaustion from their grueling hours  of training and verbal beatings from their strict coach/father hadn’t they got the chance to attend one of their teenage friends’ wedding and she's barely fifteen years old. Geeta and Babita realized what a big mistake to give up wrestling after their friend told them how heartbreaking it is to be marry off to someone she never even met. Their poor friend told them a very jarring truth and stressed out what a loving father they have for giving them a chance in life and not just marry them off to a stranger. I was really moved when their father said that he wants his daughter to have a fair chance in life and be given the liberty to choose who they want to marry someday and not just become an ‘option.’ I wanna give him a hug for that and for being a radical person who wants to stand up for countless women who never got the chance to experience freedom in India because of some strict cultural belief they have towards women. 

The real Geeta & Babita Phogat, Aamir Khan & Mahavir
Singh Phogat

Anyhow, both Geeta and Babita became wrestling champions on a state level under the care and training of their father who also helped them won countless medals. However, Geeta believed it’s time to go and compete internationally to bring home pride not just for her family and her hometown but for the country as well thus made her decide to go to National Sports Academy (NSA) in Patiala which made her father sad because it would mean she will train with a different coach. Geeta was overwhelmed when she started training at the NSA because of the huge difference she has grown accustomed to back home. The new training methods she learned at the NSA affected her mentality and attitude towards her father. Geeta wrestled her father when she came home to Balali after contesting the training methods her father taught her which her sister Babita strongly disagreed and stressed out her father’s techniques weren’t weak, he’s just gotten older and weaker because of his age. The gap between Geeta and his father lasted for quite awhile which resulted to the her countless defeats. 

Now it’s Babita’s turn to go to the NSA, the only difference is that she carried with her the techniques she learned from their father. Babita convince her sister Geeta to humble herself and talk to their father, this move brought about excellent results to Geeta. Their father along with their cousin Omkar flew to Patiala to help the two girls with their training but NSA found out about it which nearly caused them their expulsion from the NSA had not for Mahavir, their father’s plea. 

Fast forward, Geeta became the first Indian female wrestler to win gold at the Commonwealth Games (2010) and she thanked her father immensely for working with her all the way through more than her coach did at the NSA. The story was narrated in a humorous and heart warming way at the same time. This movie almost set me to tears lol. 

What’s up with the endless rain?

It’s been raining for what seems like eternity for almost a month now and I’m tired of wearing air dried clothes from the tub. I love drying out my clothes under the scorching heat of the sun and let it soak there for a few hours as it feels cleaner that way. Here up north the storm lashes pretty much half of the year which means rainy season is taking longer than usual sometimes stretches to a month and I am not exaggerating. The rainy season is taking its toll on me and I’m not a fan of stormy days, really. 

Current Mood. 

Bank It!

My sibs and I challenged our niece to save up so she won’t be tempted to spend her leftover allowance money buying senseless stuff haplessly and impulsively. She accepted our challenge like a champ so we then decided it’s about time for her to open her own bank account since she’s already 10 years old (under our supervision of course) to teach her the importance of frugality and the value of saving at such a young age. I remember how aghast she was one day after watching a feature story on those who lost almost half of their life savings after termites ate off their precious banknotes as a result of improper safekeeping. The thought of losing the money she fervently saved made her decide to keep her bills tucked inside one of those plastic cups to veer away from mites which was of course an equally very poor way to keep your money. This served as an impetus for us to inoculate her to open a savings account for kids since some banks already allow kids as young as 10 years of age to open an account under their name which I thought was excellent as it will teach a child to save up for the rainy days. I decided to scour online for the best kiddie savings account around and by far BPI is the most hassle free in terms of requirements. I thought, the less requirements, the easiest to comply. I was disappointed though that BPI’s website did not help that much because aside from it's never updated, it was totally incomplete as well. So, I just resorted to blogs instead to know more how BPI Jumpstart works. 

BPI Jumpstart 

According to one blog post dated years ago, I only need to bring the following requirements to open a Jumpstart account for my niece—child’s NSO Birth Certificate, School ID signed by school head, Two (2) 1×1 ID picture, Initial deposit of Php100 & Utility Bill with your permanent address which I gladly prepared a day before my visit to the nearest BPI where I'm at. The next day, after waiting for my turn for nearly half an hour, customer service advised they only need the following requirements below and gave me this piece of paper to open a Jumpstart account for a child/minor 10-17 years of age:

I thought the requirements for students were quite vague say for example it says 'school ID (w/signature)' of whom?? It did not even clearly state School ID signed by school head. So what I did, I brought along a photocopy of each of the requirements just to make sure which I’m glad I did. I always come prepared to save time and money for fare or gas because I hate 'installment' trips. Below are the actual requirements I carried with me which were all submitted to BPI. Make sure to bring along all the original requirements with you along with the photocopies because the bank representative will compare the photocopies from the original ones or at least I think they will. I believe it's a way to discern if there's any alterations, falsifications or whatever.

student enrollment certificate
sample

1. School ID signed by school head + 1 photocopy of it = the photocopy should show both the front and back of your ID in one page to avoid hassle or so long as the school head signature is visible.

2. Certificate of Enrolment + 1 photocopy of it = You have to personally request this from the school and pay a minimal fee which varies from school to school. My niece’s school only charges P30 (again it varies). It will bear the name of the requestor (parent or guardian), school head/principal’s signature and school seal. I only submitted a photocopy to BPI which they were ok with.

3. Recent Proof of billing (original) + 1 photocopy of it = Any utility bill will do so long as it matches the child’s current address as this is crucial therefore it should match exactly. I gave the first page of my recent PLDT Home Fibr/dsl bill (original) to BPI because I forgot to photocopy it (I'm also enrolled in paperless billing anyways).

4. Two (2) colored 1×1 ID picture

5. Initial deposit of Php100

Sadly, because BPI did not indicate these things on their website for security reasons or whatever, I had to come back the next day to accomplish all of the requirements which sucks big time. BPI though did provide a bank form which my niece was able to partly accomplish at home. 

BPI Jumpstart ATM/EMV card

The next day...

Because I have all the requirements with me during my second visit, my niece was able to finally open her new BPI Jumpstart account and got her ATM/debit card the same day. All we did was accomplish some more forms and changed the pin of her shiny new EMV ATM/debit card and off we go. 

Jumpstart account FYI...

• Account balance must not fall below Php1000 which applies after one year (from the date you open the account) to avoid getting charge a fee.
• account must have Php2000 or more in order to earn interest (not mandatory) if you want your money to grow
• and last but not least...you must not empty the account otherwise it will automatically close. Furthermore, please refer to BPI’s website for further details. 

I hope this lengthy blog post of mine helps somehow (although sometimes bank requirements changes from time to time). As an end note, no matter how time consuming to visit the bank, if all the information that you need isn’t available online, you still do not have any choice but visit the nearest BPI branch in your area otherwise call their customer service line or shoot them an email first hoping they will respond soon. 

Go Vegan

I am not convincing anyone to go vegan just because I am one of the now growing population of individuals taking that route. I know how difficult it is to give up consumption of meat and dairy products especially if you have gotten accustomed to consuming animal products and by products practically your whole life. Being vegan is a lifestyle choice and it's not a fad.

I just have had enough...
I cannot eat anymore animal meat just to satisfy my palette and live the guilt everyday when you know very well another poor animal gets slaughtered and a mother cow taken away from her baby just to provide consumers milk and what else they can get out of each and every body part of every cow, pig etc. I cannot bear a sight of another lobster in a griller dying a painful/excruciating death right in front of someone's face just to give humans that tasteful and high on cholesterol buttered lobster meat, to look chic sporting one of those sleek leather bags or shoes made from animal skins (pigs, goats, sheep, alligators, ostriches and lizards). I think, as a compassionate human being, I can do better than that. 

Transition...
Transitioning to veganism isn't really difficult for me  (yes I'm still in the process) because my diet before consisted mainly of vegetables, dairy, white meat and little to almost no red meat so cutting these from my diet isn’t really that challenging so long as I have Tofu and mushrooms. The world we’re living in made us believed since childhood that meat is the main source of ‘protein’ and discarding meat from our diet would make an individual protein deficient which I recently found isn’t actually true since vegetables are excellent protein source as much as meat say for instance Broccoli, it has more protein than beef and so as Pease, Spinach, Kale, Mushrooms just to name a few.

Why Vegan?
I decided to go vegan for two main reasons--ethical and health. When my elder sister underwent an open cholecystectomy (a surgery to remove the gallbladder via a single, large open incision in the abdomen) because of a gall bladder enlargement since she no longer qualified for a laparoscopic surgery (a less invasive way to remove the gallbladder) the rest of the family immediately changed our diet (since gall stones form as a result of high on fat diet and genetic factors). We then eradicated the use cooking oil from our kitchen for vegetable oils such as olive, palm, corn, coconut and consumed less to no red meat because of our notion that white meat is less carcinogenic compared to red just again to find ourselves wrong as any meat is carcinogenic per se and being a meat eater makes us more prone to cancer compared to individuals on a plant-based diet. Going back, years later, discarding red meat from our diet 90% did not help neither to elude gall bladder stones as I also went through surgery only it’s laparoscopic and trust me, as you get older all other health constraints will start to emerge which are all related to what you eat so it's best to eat healthy as young/early as possible. 

a true sad story about animal cruelty...
source: PETA Vegan Starter Kit

Going Vegan...

I am a transitioning vegan and the myth that you can no longer eat practically anything because everything uses dairy or meat isn’t actually true neither because you can always substitute meat for Tofu, Jackfruit, Mushrooms and the list goes on. Just think of the usual sautéed recipes you have without the meat and fish sauce if you often use it to make it a vegan recipe.  The only sacrifice I had to make is resisting dairy ice cream (since I have no access to vegan ice cream where I’m based) but I have been successful so far fighting the urge to devour that sinful cold treat. I also love baking and chocolate chip cookies which main ingredient is butter so I now have to substitute it with coconut oil. If you haven't watched this Netflix documentary 'What The Health' then you should because it will blow your mind about the things we were made to believe concerning the role of meat and poultry/dairy towards the human body. However, what really stick with me after watching that documentary was how a persons health is able to dramatically improve in just a span of two weeks after going on plant-based diet and a year later the very same people featured on the documentary were off meds (believe it or not) which I am hoping  to be in years to come. If you have read my old blog entries I've been on lifetime hormone replacement meds for Hypothyroidism for roughly 5-6 years now and it sucks big time because I hate taking medications and if only given a chance to eat organic over taking medications I would rather just eat healthy because I think all medicated drugs always has side effects. I mean, why not just eat green/red bell pepper, oranges etcetera versus taking a Vitamin C pill considering both does the job right?

Vegan and Vegetarian

I know a lot of people confuses vegans from vegetarians so let me differentiate the two: Vegetarians do not eat meat yet consume dairy products as oppose to vegans, they totally avoid meat, poultry/dairy, seafood or to simply put, vegans avoid eating animal meat and consuming animal by products or they use cruelty-free make-up (not tested on animals), do not use leather bags etc.

As an end note, there are tough life choices worth giving a try and I think veganism is one of those because aside from it's good for our planet, you can also enjoy a guilt free meal by not eating animal meat. If you consider turning into a new leaf and is looking to be vegan you may check out PETA's Vegan Starter Kit here.

Staycation

I decided to book a hotel room at the newly built Holiday Inn Baguio City Centre on a whim one night as soon as I learned they're already open. The summer capital of the Philippines is also home to tons of hostels, transient homes/serviced apartments and local hotels but I don't want to let the chance pass without checking out the spanking new Holiday Inn since it's the first international hotel franchise in the city of pines.

I also remember my sister promised my niece a staycation at any of the local hotels provided her average for the final quarter falls at 86% or better (passing is 75%) and no failing marks or final grade below 80%. However, she needed to break it to our niece the promised staycation won't push through anymore because the kiddo had a seventy-nine-point-something in Math (which, if only rounded off to the nearest tens could've been an 80% but failed short by just a few points aww) which, of course, she did not take nicely and the poor kid cried a river one morning whilst were having breakfast. I wasn't part of the deal that's why I was in a state of bewilderment with the whole 'cry-me-a-river -scene.' Nevertheless, I helped my sister in explaining to the kiddo that an agreement/promise isn't meant to be broken regardless because it defeats the purpose of having one (although I thought t'was a total miscommunication on both parties or the message may not have come across as crystal clear thus explains the situation). 

We explained to her it wasn't a repercussion because her grades weren't good when in fact they were, it's just that it did not make the cut as agreed upon. We also told her that getting good grades isn't something kids nowadays should only do in exchange for a reward because it's for their own good as well if they excel in school. Anyhow, I decided to put the matter into my own hands and booked a hotel room at the Holiday Inn three days prior to mend the child's broken heart and as a consolation prize for a seventy-nine-point-something in Math under one condition, it'll just be an overnight staycation since it's just a discretionary merit which purpose is to acknowledge her hard work for the previous school year which of course she was so jubilant about. Her happiness was to the roof and I'm not exaggerating. 

I decided to find the lowest possible room rate I could book since it's just an overnight stay anyways and even went the odds of finding my old rewards club membership number which I was lucky to find after countless trial and error punching in one email addy after the other because it's been ages since I last used it. Let's not forget that I also got a roughly 4% discount for being a member lol. Three days later off we go to the spanking new Holiday Inn hotel here up north. 

I was undeniably excited myself to stay at the Holiday Inn once again because it  has always been one of my favorite hotels not that I'm being biased because I used to be an employee at IHG (which owns all Holiday Inns). I'm saying this from a personal viewpoint and majority of IHG hotels really deliver service wise and I always enjoy my stay whether it's a Holiday Inn, Crown Plaza etc. Going back, the last Holiday Inn I stayed at was the one in Ortigas which was the the Holiday Inn Manila Galleria few years ago before I flew to Hong Kong.

Holiday Inn Baguio City Centre

Address: 56 Legarda Rd, Baguio, 2600 Benguet

The brand new Holiday Inn City Centre.
Some of the photos were taken by my
sister @m00nchildr0cks

Exterior/Interior

The hotel isn't very noticeable even if it's along the road because their parking lot is situated right in front of the hotel obscuring the view. They only have eight floors and 185 guest rooms which was good because high rise hotels can be pretty scary since Baguio was once devastated by a high magnitude earthquake back in 1991 which left the Hyatt hotel (one of the biggest hotels in Baguio back then) in rubbles among many other business establishments. 

Holiday Inn Baguio isn't as vast as I have imagined in real life. The interior was very straightforward: front desk is just steps away from the main entrance, full service restaurant to the left and a sitting area across from reception. I'm going to say I miss the citrusy signature scent and soothing music at the lobby I have gotten used to with the other Holiday Inns I've stayed at. 

Reservation

I phoned the front desk that morning to raise a quite disconcerting flaw on my reservation. I noticed my reservation says 3 adults whilst I specifically put it for 2 adults and a child upon booking (I booked it directly through the hotel's website) hence explains the Php1,200 extra person charge which changed the room rate a hefty. Good thing I kept my confirmation email and printed out a copy thus made it easier for front desk to modify/edit my reservation. We arrived 20 minutes ahead of check in time thus explains the minutes of wait time although I kind of noticed their check in and check out process takes longer than usual compared to other Holiday Inns. If it's your first time staying at an IHG hotel or maybe any other hotel chain per se, be ready to pay for a refundable incidental fee upfront and Holiday Inn charges Php2,000 upon check in on top of the room rate which they will 'hold' on your credit card. 

The hotel is so brand new and everything is still shiny and spotless clean from the lobby to your hotel room. I kind of noticed the carpeting, the floors are no longer fully carpeted like they used to. I also loved their light touch switches which was something new, they are so aesthetically pleasing although they're not very responsive as oppose to regular embossed switches. I also liked that they now have bidets in the toilet like pretty much all asian hotels I've been to  I remember the Holiday Inn & Suites in Makati do not have one though. I also prefer the old brand of toiletries  they use to have because the new ones called SOAK weren't as fragrant and the shampoo and conditioner were kind of very drying to the hair and I don't know if its just me or the old brand they use to carry out was really better. 

Room

I booked a Superior room with 2 Double Beds which was alright. It was quite small which is typical in almost all Holiday Inns. I also requested for a room with a view in a quiet floor which the hotel kindly granted. One thing I noticed though, the room we were assigned do no seem to have fresh beddings/sheets because they do not smell fresh as opposed to the Holiday Inns I've stayed at before, you will really smell the overwhelming scent of the detergent the hotel washes them with (not that it's bad) if you know what I mean. The room seems still unprepared for the next guest as well because it's missing another set of dental kit (toothbrush and toothpaste), there's only one bath robe (there's usually two of those if there's 2 adults sharing the room) and the survey form left by the previous guest before us is still sitting on the desk. The Holiday Inn pen usually sits on top of the work desk with the notepad is also not there which is just a small thing but if you often book a room at an IHG hotel you can't help but notice. Nevertheless, the room was spotless except I just wish I had a fresh survey form that's all so I could leave a feedback for the benefit of other future guests.

Guest Request

When we stepped inside our room I noticed we're missing one dental kit and another keycard since there's three of us in the room so I had to call front desk to request for those. My sister also had to follow it up with front desk after roughly an hour of waiting and no extra toothbrush is coming which I totally understand since front desk people are multi-taskers, they answer the phone and personally attend to guests' requests. I appreciate that someone from the front desk went upstairs to personally bring the dental kit and keycard. I think they are is still quite understaffed because every time you call front desk to request something, it takes a while before someone turns up. Nevertheless, all their hotel staff were very pleasant and courteous and tried their best to attend to everyone.

Blip

I don't know what's up with the frequent bathroom lights blip but it's kind of weird when the lights flicker then suddenly switches off while you're taking a bath? It comes back on though but if you're afraid of the dark then that's scary like my 10 year old niece we had in tow, she panics during power outages. This happened countless times during our stay and I don't know if that's really the case to conserve energy or some power glitch. 

Water Pressure

I know the hotel is fairly new but the water pressure in the toilet bowl and sink is so weak which makes washing your face quite time consuming lol. The water pressure in the shower is alright though. 

Just a quick run down on the basic in-room hotel amenities in case you might be wondering what the room comes with.

Room amenities:
-Air conditioning
-Flat screen TV (Sky cable)
-Wifi (it was quite fast when it comes to downloads but upload is kind of nay); the wifi down at the lobby is exclusively only for hotel guests because you have to input your last name and room number.
-Light touch switches
-Bedside table with iPod dock*/charger/radio/digital clock, notepad
-Work desk with LAN, phone, lamp, notepad, hotel directory, food menu
-Sitting area (a couch with small coffee table)

*iPhone 5 and higher

Closet:
-Few Hangers
-Bath robe (typically they provide 1-2 if there's for 2 guests in the room)
-Iron & Ironing board
-In-room safe
-Laundry bag
-2 sets of slippers
-Hair dryer

Mini Bar:
-List & prices of minibar items
-Minibar items for sale: nuts, chocolates, cup noodles
-Coffee/Tea making facilities: complimentary black Nescafe´ coffee sachets, few sugar packets, few creamers, about 4 pieces of Dalmah tea bags (1 of each: Jasmine, Green & Black tea); coffee/tea pot of course
-2 tea spoons
-2 complimentary bottled water
-2 coffee cups

Toilet & Bath:
-1 set of SOAK toiletries: A tube of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand and body lotion.
-2 sets of Dental kit (toothpaste & toothbrush)
-2 shower cap
-Cotton buds and few square cotton pads
-2 small soap
-2 rolls of toilet paper
-facial tissues
-Glasses for tooth brushes + coasters
-Rain shower head
-Heated shower

If the room amenities I mentioned here aren't that detailed or thorough enough then I don't know what is lol. Overall, I had a great stay at the Holiday Inn City Centre and I am looking forward to stay there again  in the future. I know the hotel is not as popular yet in Baguio (since they just opened last June 5) unless you're an existing or former IHG employee, a business traveler perhaps then you might've heard of Holiday Inn. I also read somewhere cab drivers often confuses Holiday Inn with Holiday Park hotel so when in doubt I suggest to book a GrabTaxi instead since they have GPS or better yet use Waze, Google maps or whatever works for you. It is also across Route 55 (the resto) and is exactly right beside Pines View Hotel. 

To know more about the Holiday Inn Baguio City Centre please check out my video below 👇🏻

Related posts:

Holiday Inn Manila Galleria

Holiday Inn Clark, Pampanga

Holiday Inn & Suites Makati