Last April, I attended a monthly cooking demo at the Maya Kitchen. It really does make you learn something, something that you can prepare extra ordinary food for your party. Chef Myrna Segismundo of 9501 of ABS-CBN, showed her some of her secrets in cooking and gladly gave me an idea on what to bring on my next potluck party. Here is one of the recipes she (chef myrna) shared to us. Chicken Inasal Chicken Inasal is a native delicacy of Bacolod. This is a chicken barbecue marinated on locally made vinegar from Bacolod. You can buy them at major supermarkets. So far there are only 2 brands of Sinamak...

I’ve been to a lot of festivals around the country. In January, there’s the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo and the Sinulog Festival in Cebu. Come February, there’s the Kalilangan Festival in General Santos and then the Moriones Festival in Marinduque during Holy Week. Of course there’s the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban and the Pintados Festival in Tacloban among others. Yes, I’ve been to a lot of festivals around the country. And I can honestly say that it’s in Bacolod, where I see the sweetest smiles. If you’re wondering why I...

This blog post tells the story of my worst travel experience this year, courtesy of Zest Air. I decided to write about this because I think there really is a need for Zest Air to change how they do their business, specially in the area of customer service. I hope you will be patient enough to read through everything that happened that fateful night of October 18, 2010 in Bacolod. I attended the MassKara 2010 festival and it was time for me to go home. My flight schedule for Bacolod to Manila was originally on October 18, 7:20 PM via Zest Air. OCTOBER 18 7:00 PM: Intercom announces that Zest Air flight...

One of the Best Festival of the Philippines is Bacolod’s Masskara Festival. Bacolod is popularly known for the city of Smiles and I never knew why till we attended the almost week long festival. We just learned it from our friends in Bacolod the story of the said city. In 1980, an inter-island vessel Don Juan owned by the Negros Navigation Company collided with an oil tanker and sank on April 22, 1980. The tragedy claimed the lives of an estimated 400 passengers, most of whom were Negrenses, including several from prominent families in Bacolod. Negros sugar industry was shaken by the much...

It’s always nice to visit a historical site in the country. My most recent, a trip Talisay City, Negros Occidental for The Talisay Mansion Ruins. This mansion was owned by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson. It was built after the death of his wife, Maria Braga, and became Don Mariano’s residence and his unmarried children. His Mansion is the largest residential structure ever built during that time. A-grade mixture of concrete and its strict pouring was precisely followed. Final touches to the walls were made with egg white mixed with cement to give that marble-like finish. The Mansion’s...