Discover Philippines: All You Need to Do About the Philippine Nightlife

“There is no night life in Spain. They stay up late but they get up late. That is not night life. That is delaying the day. Night life is when you get up with a hangover in the morning. Night life is when everybody says what the hell and you do not remember who paid the bill. Night life goes round and round and you look at the wall to make it stop. Night life comes out of a bottle and goes into a jar. If you think of how much the drinks are it is not night life” –Ernest Hemingway

The nightlife scene in the Philippines is unlike any other.

Influenced significantly by Western culture, there might be some aspects in Philippine nightlife that allude to the nightclub scene commonly found in the United States. However, there are also several aspects about it that make it so unique. For an instance, the nightlife in each district is so drastically different than how you would find it in another city. Makati nightlife is associated with upscale living insomuch that you can find some of the most luxurious and exclusive bars and nightclubs here. Other towns are also known for their distinct brand of nightlife—whether that may be a simple night at the pub or a speakeasy that is frequently patronized by up-and-coming writers, singers, artists and poets. Indeed, nightlife in the Philippines is so vibrant and colorful that everyone needs to experience it—whether they may be a local and even more so when they are a foreigner. Regardless of what your poison might be, the Philippine nightlife caters to everyone and you might find something just for you. Everything is there—from laser light discotheques, karaoke bars, underground music gastropubs and exclusive VIP clubs. There is always something for everyone’s fancy and kind of play during the weekend.

So, if you have been looking to hit up some nightclubs or bars this upcoming weekend, here are some of the things you might want to know before going on that nocturnal jaunt:

Friendly attitude towards foreigners

Filipinos are known for their hospitality. In this regard, a foreigner would not have a hard time striking up a conversation with a local. In fact, they may even expect Filipinos to initiate conversations with them first. More importantly, Filipinos have an excellent command of the English language so communication would not be a challenge. Aside from that, foreigners are basically treated like celebrities in the Philippines insomuch that most Filipinos would be receptive to accommodating them. Although things might be relatively different in low-end establishments, you can still expect Filipinos to be welcoming to foreigners.

English-speaking nation

As stated above, Filipinos have an excellent grasp of the English language that communication would hardly be a problem at all. In fact, this is seen as one of the many advantages when it comes to partying in the Philippines as most of the locals can speak English. Even the poorest urban communities can speak Basic English and would be able to accommodate tourists without a hitch. However, even if your trip to the Philippines does not necessitate the reading of a Filipino phrasebook, knowing a few key phrases will earn you extra appreciative smiles from the locals—just for trying!

Unique alcoholic beverages and food

Filipinos love their booze just as much as they love to eat. For this reason, most of their alcoholic beverages have food matches to further improve the taste and the drinking experience. A local drink that is a must-try to beer drinkers is the Filipino local staple for libation, the San Miguel Beer or simply called San Mig. This beer variety comes in a variety of forms from the classic pale pilsen offering to the super dry variant. Apart from alcoholic beverages and spirits, there is quite a number of recognizable American fast food establishments in the Philippines. Recently, there has also been a growth of Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisines inside shopping malls.  However, if you truly want to experience the diversity of Filipino cuisine, take a stroll in one of the Sunday food night markets and food bazaars. There you can find a range of unique food offerings and flavors all in a single place. Have a taste of the local street food as well as Filipino “pulutan” or finger food and beer matches said to enhance the taste of your alcohol.

Love for KTV

Filipinos love to song—that much is evident from the series of KTV bars you can find in almost every nook and cranny in a major city. In fact, you might even find a standalone one in a local store with a singing patron to match. Indeed, a Filipino’s love for singing has no match and it is something you have to witness for yourself should you ever find yourself in the Philippines. Even those without the gift of vocal prowess can be found singing and belting out tunes in karaoke machines. After all, it is more about your performance rather than the song. So, do not be afraid to try your hand at karaoke too. Let go of your inhibitions by belting out your favorite songs.

Image source

Makati Nightlife: Three Weekend Night Out Alternatives for People Who Hate Bars

“No one looks back on their life and remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep. –Author Unknown

To many people, Friday and Saturday nights mean getting to enjoy a night all to yourself without worrying about work the next day. It means getting to unwind and relax from a long and excruciating week and fully embracing the fact that for the next two days, you would not have to put work in your mind and focus on the things one enjoys. While some people would enjoy a quiet day in and spending the weekends entirely at home with nothing but the telly on, some people would not want to waste a single moment of what they see as a golden opportunity of unabridged fun . This is particularly true for individuals who are in their early to late twenties. In this regard, many would opt to enjoy a drink or two with friends or co-workers as early as Friday nights (with some even going as far as to enjoying them on Thursday nights).

In fact, it can be safely assumed that in the workplace—particularly one dominated by millennials—there would only be a handful of people who would not enjoy whiling away the time in a pub or bar enjoying their favorite beer or signature cocktail. After all, apart from getting finally having that weekly chance to relax, it is also seen as an avenue for socialization. And for singles, Friday and Saturday nights are prime nights for checking out the scene and dating pool in clubs insomuch that these are the days slated for hunting their next targets. However, what about those of us who have outgrown the nightlife scene or are otherwise weary of it? What if we are sick of the big city shenaningans and are desirous of something a little different? After all, we cannot realistically expect to stay in the Makati nightlife scene and sphere for the rest of our lives, can we? At some point in our lives, we would inevitably retire our party flags and look for a more subdued way to enjoy our nights during the weekends without getting smashed in the club. If you are one of such individuals looking for feasible alternatives, take a gander at the list below for some suggestions as to how you can spend your Saturday nights sans going to bars or clubs:

 Invite your friends or co-workers to a Trivia Night

 If you feel like the club scene is somewhat repetitive with basically what you are doing inside as redundant, you might be one of the few individuals wishful of intellectual stimulation while you are there. In this regard, round up your squad or the office gang and invite them for a drink on a Trivia Night. More often than not, most bars in Makati or any major city in the Philippines would have themed nights so as to appeal to a wider range of club goers. More importantly, it keeps them relevant and prevents them from progressively declining into a place wherein the same thing happens night after night. So, for a change, go ahead and enjoy a few beers while taking part in Trivia Night. Who knows? You might just be the lucky group to bag the first prize that can range anything from cash money to free drinks for a year.

     Belt it out at a Karaoke Bar

 Filipinos are known for their penchant for singing and unique affinity for Karaoke bars. Those 5Peso Karaoke machines you can spot in almost every sidewalk bar in the Philippines can attest to that fact. In this regard, why not spend your next weekend night out at a Karaoke bar in lieu of a regular bar. Admittedly, it might be just as loud as a regular bar is but at least, only you and your friends would be making the noise in a private function room. More importantly, karaoke nights always make for fond memories as you and your squad would be doing more than just drinking. If you want to take it up a notch, you can even turn the entire thing into your own version of the American Idol where some of your friends who do not want their own turn on the mic can stand in to judge the singing prowess of those that do.

    Watch a comedy show

 Instead of staying in on weekend nights binging on comedy shows on Netflix, why not witness a live stand-up comedy with your gang? Go out and see comedians live and who knows? You might just discover the next comedy icon that would soon take the world by storm. Stand-up comedy shows usually feature a variety of comics that are guaranteed to appeal to a range of humor styles and preferences. If you do not enjoy the first comedian or comedienne, do not be so quick to dismiss the idea and stay for a while.

Image source

Movie Magic: Five Ways to Improve Your Cinematic Experience

"People do not go to the movies to get the news, people do not go to the movies to learn a lesson. People go to the movie to get an emotional experience."-Micahel Shannon

With the rising popularity of streaming apps and websites such as Netflix and the like, it is a wonder at all why people still go to the movies. Why do people even watch movies? Moreover, what is it about a film that amplifies a moviegoer's experience? While true enough, cinemas provide the perfect and most conducive avenue of which movies are to be viewed; there are some factors that can truly elevate one's viewing experience. These set of techniques are varied and useful insomuch that you would be convinced that there is no other way to enjoy a cinematic release than in the movie house alone. So, before heading out to the Circuit Makati Cinema for the next blockbuster, here are some of the things you can think of doing to bring your cinematic experience to the next level:

1.) Book your movie tickets online

One of the most frustrating things about watching movies is queuing up to buy your tickets. This is even more infuriating when you see a blockbuster with the movie queues longer and the ticket counters full. To avoid such a scenario, book your ticket online. Furthermore, you should book them in advance to ensure that you can select the best seats in the cinema. In this way, when you arrive at the mall, all you would have to do is buy yourself some movie snacks and wait for your movie schedule to start.

2.) Get settled in early

Apart from getting to see sneak previews and theatrical trailers, getting settled in early mitigates the chances of you disrupting other moviegoers who have already settled in before you. There is nothing more galling that enjoying the movie only to have someone block your view as they get settled in their seat as soon as the movie is starting or when the movie has long started. In this regard, be sure to arrive at least thirty minutes before your scheduled movie is to begin. Besides, coming early means you would not miss any part of the movie at all.

3.) Be app savvy

Rotten Tomatoes and Click the City are rudimentary apps in the smartphone of any seasoned moviegoer. However, take it up a notch and instead of more movie review and schedule apps, go for apps that would actually prove useful to you while you are in the movies. New innovative apps such as Runpee would let you know when the perfect time to use the bathroom is. This is particularly useful for long movies and individuals with heavy bladders. In any case, the app would feature every film that is currently showing in theaters and would highlight long-winded scenes that are not precisely crucial to the plot. With this app, you would not be missing any major plot twists, comedic scenes, thrilling action sequences and the like when you have to go and relieve yourself.

4.) Choose your seats carefully

Where you seat yourself plays a pivotal role in your cinematic experience insomuch that strategically seating yourself can contribute to how well or how bad you would enjoy your movie. While where you sit is a matter of personal preference, some seats in the movie house are better than the rest, and for this reason, you need to book and select your seats ahead of everyone else by booking them online. If you want clean and crisp audio, you should situate yourself in the center of the theater as it has been found that audio technicians check the sound about two-thirds of the way back and in the center of the auditorium. However, if you are someone who frequently uses the bathroom even for an hour-long movie, you might want to sit on the corners to avoid distracting anyone should you need to get up and relieve yourself in the comfort room.

5.) Do not be afraid to walk out

Although this mostly depends on the cinema, you can usually swap tickets if you are about twenty to thirty minutes into a movie and realize that you do not like it. However, this is a pure case to case basis, so it might be best if you asked the movie attendant if they have this policy before booking your ticket.


Image Source

Night at the Cinemas: Snacks to Enhance Your Movie Experience

“Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.” –Walt Disney

It is a given that no cinema experience is complete without movie snacks.

After all, what are you supposed to do with your hands while you are waiting for your movie to start? Much like how so many things go together, popcorn and the movies go hand in hand. Indeed, freshly popped butter popcorn is known to be a ubiquitous presence in cinemas that moviegoers are rather used to the scent of popcorn kernels pervading the cinema and the resultant noise that comes in eating them. In fact, it seems almost comforting to be able to smell it while we watch our favorite flicks. 

However, there are other snacks that can elevate and enhance your cinema experience apart from the iconic snack. Although some of the ones listed here are a bit unconventional to munch on while watching a movie, they are incredibly healthy. In this regard, you would not have to worry about the extra calories you consume and can eat away guilt-free.

Do remember that the food you bring should not emit foul or pungent odor so as not to ruin disturb movie patrons and ensure everyone has a great movie experience all the same. In any case, should you be checking for Greenbelt Cinema schedules or the like, here are the snacks you can alternatively munch on:

1.)    Blueberries

Swap out the crunch of popcorn and try to munch on an alternative superfood such as blueberries. While blueberries can hardly be found in snack bars in cinemas, they are relatively easy to locate in grocery stores and supermarkets. Blueberries are delicious food that has been found to give you a boost in mental memory for up to five hours making it the perfect snack for movies with complicated plotlines.

2   2.)    Walnuts and Flax Seeds

If you wish to pack on omega-3 fatty acids without bringing oily fish inside the cinema outright, walnuts and flax seeds are excellent alternatives. They come in loaded with the essential acids and can easily fit inside your bag or pockets which makes them a snackable alternative to fish.

 3.)    Chocolate

Instead of indulging yourself with a sweet candy treat, why not try a more decadent but healthier alternative? Chocolate has been known to enhance any experience and that would invariably include your cinematic one. Not only does this sweet morsel give you a pleasurable feeling, but when taken in controlled amounts, it can actually be healthy. Moreover, chocolate contains flavanol which has been associated with improving your short-term memory. In this regard, you would not have to constantly ask your seatmate what just happened to your flick every twenty minutes or so.

 4.)    Guacamole

Guacamole is a sure winner with everyone—especially when it comes with its archetypal pair, nachos. This crowd pleasing snack is not only known to be a fan-favorite, but it also helps you boost your brainpower as well. After all, avocados are known to be rich in monosaturated fat which can vastly improve blood flow to your brain.

 5.)    Pistachios

If you are a big fan of nuts then you are going to love pistachios. While nuts are known to be the go-to snack for mindless munching in movies, why not consider this healthier alternative? Seeing as we tend to scarf down food more rapidly in usual when inside movies (mindless munching and all), switching to pistachios will help you address that. Research has shown that eating shelled pistachios can actually aid you in cutting down your caloric intake in a movie. After all, eating even just one in a movie house already takes effort considering you still have to peel the shells. This sends signals to your brain on how much you have been eating which would be a subtle reminder to you to stop wolfing down the snack.      

Image Source

Makati City says ‘No to Plastic’

Makati City is one of the densely populated cities in Metro Manila. It is deliberated as the 16th-largest city in the Philippines and has a diverse culture because of different nationalities. Its culture, entertainment, lifestyle, and business have greatly developed over the years.

When you roam around the city, you’ll see different establishments ranging from business, malls, markets, and different real estate properties. Makati has been recognized as one of the populated districts in the metro that’s why the mayor of the city, Jejomar Erwin Binay, has mandated a ban for plastic that started on June 20. There were teams deployed under the Plastic Monitoring Task Force (PMTF) to inspect different areas in the city. It is led by the Department of Environmental Services (DES) that acted to enforce the ban. The people behind the teams were instructed comprehensively on the contents and legal basis of Executive Order (EO) No. 007 series of 2012. This prohibits the sale, distribution, and use of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials such as Styrofoam as packaging materials.

No excuses

We all know that plastic substances can harm the environment. These things come in different shapes and sizes that can block the drainage system and other road utilities. When the drainage system is blocked, there will be risk for flashfloods. On the first day of implementation, several market vendors are comprehended because of the violation against the plastic ban. Some were penalized while other people were discharged with a warning.

According to Danilo Villas, head of the city’s Department of Environment Services, there were people caught unaware of the plastic ban and some stores were still giving away Styrofoam packaging and plastic bags for their products. He also added that store owners, vendors and other business establishments should have no excuse for not complying with the ordinance because they were given a nine-year adjustment period by the city government.

Implementation of the plastic ban

Mayor Binay extended the deadline of the provision on “Use of Environment-Friendly Materials” to June 20^th, through the Executive Order 007 that ended last December 31, 2012. The mayor stretched the deadline to give sufficient time for establishments to diminish their inventories and substitute plastic with environment-friendly materials such as paper or eco bags.

Individual violators will be fined with 1,000 pesos or will be imprisoned for 5 to 30 days, or both at the discretion of the court. Establishment or corporations that will be comprehended because of their violation to the plastic ban will be fined 5,000 pesos, or the owner may be imprisoned from 30 days to a year, or both at the court’s discretion. The business permit or license may also be cancelled if there will be a warrant made

Best Hotels In Metro Manila

Whether you are a tourist looking for accommodations in Metro Manila or you are a local resident looking for a good place to relax and unwind, there are numerous options among the various hotels in Metro Manila. Below are some of the best choices when it comes to hotels around Metro Manila.

• Makati Shangri-La Manila. Located right in the hub of Makati City Philippines, Makati Shangri-La Manila is conveniently located to the busy and upscale areas in the Makati business district. This hotel is known for the right mix of simplicity, elegance, and excellent customer service. Its Circles restaurant is a popular destination even among non-guests of the hotel.

• Manila Hotel. One of the oldest hotels in Manila. It is conveniently located in Rizal Park and it has a very colorful history, making it a very distinctive part of the city of Manila. Despite its old age, Manila Hotel has maintained the elegance and sophistication that it became known for over the decades. It has gone through numerous renovations to uphold it five-star hotel status.

• Fairmont Hotel. A relative newbie in the hotel industry in Makati Philippines, Fairmont Hotel is able to stay at the top among other more popular five-star hotels. It is well-placed near important places such as the Ayala Center and the Philippine Stock Exchange. Aside from the excellent facilities, the Fairmont Hotel is also earning praises for the superb customer service that its employees provide guests.

• The Bayleaf. If you want to be close to the significant and historic part of Manila, then The Bayleaf is an excellent choice. It is the only hotel that is located inside the walled city of Intramuros. It is a relatively small hotel but well-worth a stay because of the spectacular view of Manila that you can get from its skydeck. Touring the historic city of Intramuros can be quickly and conveniently done while staying at The Bayleaf. This hotel is sure to become more popular as more and more people get to experience staying here.

• The Cocoon Boutique Hotel. This small hotel is located in Quezon City, a city that offers limited choices when it comes to five- or four-star hotels. This hotel has earned good words from its customers despite the relatively small clientele compared to bigger hotels. Another plus point is that The Cocoon Boutique Hotel promotes environmentally friendly practices. The staff is also known for their efficiency and excellent customer service.

Job Hunting Tips To Help You Find Your Dream Job

Looking for a job and landing one does not come easy for everyone. Some people go through numerous job applications and interviews before being accepted into a job that they want. Even if you have landed a job, it does not mean that you will stay in that job for many years to come. Many of those who are working in the Philippines have had several jobs before their current one and some of them will continue to have a few more jobs in the future.

Whether you would like to get a job in Makati City or Manila, there are some things that can help increase your chance of getting the next job you apply to. Below are some of these tips.

·         Polish your cover letter and resume. The very first impression you can make on your potential employer lies on your cover letter and resume so you have to make it outstanding if you want to be remembered in a good way. Make sure there are no grammatical, typographical, and spelling errors. You might be handing out your cover letter and resume to more than a few companies so it has to be impeccable.

·         Network. Although a lot of people find jobs by looking through job advertisements, you might have a better chance by using your networks of friends, families, and colleagues. Try to build your network specifically in the field that you are aiming to work in.

·         Do not ‘bulk’ apply. Although finding a job is more probable if you apply to more companies, it does not mean that you should apply to all the companies you come across with. Do some filtering on your own based on some of your own preferences such as the position, the reputation of the company, the location, and many more. Limit your applications to around three to five at a time. Focusing on specific jobs that interest you will ensure that when you do get a job offer, it is something that you wanted from the start.

 

·       Go online. There are now numerous job websites where you can look for jobs and apply. Feel free to email your resume and cover letter, as well as sign up for sites such as LinkedIn. Remember that nowadays, networking extends to online social networks as well but make sure that your online profiles are clean and provide enough information about you.