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News in the Philippines

Stay in the loop with your go-to source of blogs in the Philippines! Know the latest happenings and trending news in Manila and across the country.

December 29, 2015

Holidays Get Better at Hotel Jen Manila

Hotel Jen, the newest 4-star hotel brand in the Shangri-La Group that can be found in the best spots in Asia Pacific is teeming with holiday treats in its Manila location this season. If you want your holidays to be more colorful and exceptional then the most splendid solution is to celebrate it at Hotel Jen Manila. Holiday Highlights – Santa Claus will indeed be in town! Bring your selfie stick and have a picture with the Christmas icon as he might just personally welcome you! Grab a cookie or two at the Ginger Bread Store and then celebrate the essence of the season with gratitude at the Christmas & […]

January 07, 2016

BenCab: The Filipino Artist

A Retrospective Exhibition The Metropolitan Museum of Manila takes its turn in celebrating the fifty creative years of National Artist BenCab (Benedicto Cabrera) with a retrospective exhibition that opened to the public on Oct. 5 and will run until Feb. 27 next year. BenCab: The Filipino Artist presents a rare opportunity to survey the prolific career of the artist through an assemblage of more than a hundred paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures loaned from various institutional and private collections, many of which will be on public view for the first time. Each of BenCab’s five decades of artistic harvest is amply represented in the exhibition. It starts from his early […]

December 28, 2015

Crisp on 28th Unveils New Dessert Menu!

This Halloween season, brace yourself for some chilly…sweetness! FRESHNESS GUARANTEED. Crisp on 28th is your friendly neighbourhood, rustic-themed stop in the city if you are looking for breakfast to complement the crisp mornings. Crisp on 28th is sure to get a lot of love from those with sweet tooth as it adds to its menu delicious cakes in the form of delightful concoctions called milkshakes. Yes, cake milkshakes! The clamor for these heavenly desserts is so strong they are making a comeback. Enliven your taste buds with the harmonious blend of each cake milkshake coming in different flavors – Lemon Meringue Pie, Blueberry Cheesecake, Nutella S’mores, Strawberry Peach Pavlova and […]

October 27, 2015

Albay Named As a Top Destination in Asia Pacific

The province of Albay, Philippines has been awarded the Top Destination Award in the category of Regions/States/Provinces while Thekkady, Kerala, India has been granted the Top Destination Award in the category of Second and Third Tier Cities by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). PATA, a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism in Asia Pacific is the leading voice and authority on travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region. Photo grabbed from Pinterest The two winning entries will work with PATA CEO Challenge 2015 partner TripAdvisor to develop and create digital marketing campaigns to showcase their destination to […]

October 22, 2015

Dohtonbori Grand Opening

Bask yourself in Japanese soul food as Dohtonbori makes its way to Greenhills on November 21. This opening cannot be missed as Dohtonbori serves one of the best okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) in the world. It is the No.1 okonomiyaki chain in Japan with over 300 stores and with branches in Bangkok and Taipei. But what’s unique about Dohtonbori’s okonomiyaki is that it has produced more than 200 variants through the course of time in its flagship store in Japan and the same variants can be expected as the Manila branch comes up very soon. Umi Go A yummy snippet of what to expect from Dohtonbori is its Umi Go, a […]

October 23, 2015

Philippine-Made Chocolate Wins an International Award

It’s official: One of the world’s best drinking chocolates can be found in the Philippines. The Philippines abounds in top-grade cocoa beans and produces world-class chocolates. One of these is the Malagos Chocolate which recently won an award in the prestigious International Chocolate Awards 2015 held in Hannover, Germany for the Schokolade Gourmet Festival. The organization gave Malagos 65% Dark Chocolate the Silver Prize as one of the world’s best drinking chocolates. The Davao-made chocolate won in the Dark Drinking Chocolate Category, specifically drinks made with milk. Winning the Gold was Chocolate de Mesa from the United States. Entries to the 2015 World Drinking Chocolate Competition of the International Chocolate Awards were […]

October 22, 2015

Palawan Named The Best Island in the World

Dreaming of the ultimate island experience? Look no further as the best island in the world can be found right here in the Philippines! – With this archipelago’s 7,107 beautiful islands with long stretches of pristine beaches, it is not surprising that one of them be hailed as The Best Island in the World. For the second time in a row, the island of Palawan emerged at the top in a world poll conducted by the US magazine Condé Nast Traveler. Baracuda Lake, Coron, Palawan Cayangan Lake, Coron, Palawan Considered as the last frontier of the Philippines being situated in the westernmost part, Palawan is a dazzling jewel in the […]

January 26, 2016

JCB Deals Promo: Get up to 20% discount with JCB Card

Experience exclusive dinner events or feast with your family and friends, enjoy a variety of dining offers and spa packages with your JCB credit card. So go ahead, pick a restaurant of your choice and enjoy these great deals. Promo runs from October 1 to December 31, 2015 Participating Merchants:  1) UCC – 15% discount -UCC Vienna: Tomas Morato Plaza; The Podium; SM Mall of Asia; Greenbelt 5; Rustan’s Makati; 59 Connecticut St., Greenhills; Banawe Ave, Quezon City; Corinthian Hills -UCC Café: Glorietta 3; Forbes Town Center; Shangri-La Mall; Dell Bldg (Eastwood Ave.); Robinsons Magnolia -UCC Terrace: Forbes Town Center; Ayala Center Cebu; One Rockwell – West Tower; Westgate Alabang; […]

December 29, 2015

One Peso Snow Buns at TuanTuan

TuanTuan Brasserie, the first Chinese Brasserie in the country that serves Hong Kong comfort food with French flair is cooking up something this October 24 (literally!). – photo from Tuan Tuan Facebook page TuanTuan at One celebrates its anniversary by offering its famous Snow Buns for one peso apiece on this special date from 12nn-3pm & 6pm-8pm or until supplies last! The crispy and yummy one-peso buns are available for dine-in customers and on a one-bun per person basis. Mark the date and enjoy this delectable treat by heading to its branch in SM Megamall 3L Mega Fashion Hall. It’s going to rain snow buns and you shouldn’t be missing […]

October 20, 2015

Maisen Opens More Branches

Great news for foodies up north! Maisen recently opened a branch in SM North Edsa making it closer to more people who have been wanting to have a taste of the restaurant’s celebrated menu. The revered heritage restaurant from Japan that famously serves tonkatsu has been drawing Filipinos and expats in the metro as it opened in Greenbelt 5 Makati and recently in SM Megamall this year. Renowned in Japan, the restaurant is brought to the Philippines by retail magnate and Japanese culture admirer Ben Chan. Timeless Taste and Service Excellence that Span Decades The pioneering and ingenious katsu house offers a delectable variety of Japanese culinary dishes that carry […]

June 06, 2024

Kermit Tesoro Twists the Norm (and the heels!)

‘The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person.’ – Frank Barron Manila-based designer Kermit Tesoro, educated in UP Diliman College of Fine Arts and in Central Saint Martins, defies the average idea of fashion. Horns, tentacles, hooves, skulls AND fashion do not usually come in one sentence but Tesoro’s boundless imagination makes it all possible. His famous shoe design, the Polypodis, is inspired by the mollusk and the tentacle-looking heels is but one of the many designs he has made that have garnered a cult following in the global fashion-forward scene. His inspiration? Nature and its wonders. […]

December 28, 2015

Bait’s x Keg

Here’s something awesome yuppies can look forward to, Bait’s just partnered with Keg which only means that the chic seafood restaurant now also offers fantastic liquor at night! Spend your nights at Bait’s x Keg in Valero Street Makati and enjoy an amazing night of spirits. Especially on a Wednesday night when Bait’s x Keg offers an All-You-Can-Drink Scotch until 12 midnight. Enjoy your scotch on the rocks or mix it with soda to make things milder. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to have an awesome time at the stylish and revved-up resto-bar. Enjoy your glass of spirit with an order of Sisig Fries, a combo that will definitely satiate […]

October 15, 2015

Japanese Emperor and Empress to Visit the Philippines

Photo from dailymail.co.uk Furthering the renewed strength of Japan-Philippines relations, the Japanese Majesties, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are set to visit the Philippines in early 2016. The said visit is in response to the warm invitation President Aquino extended to the Imperial couple as his sign of showing the same hospitality that was accorded him during his state visit to Japan last June. During that visit, Aquino cited the Philippines’ ties with Japan as a “global example of cooperation” as the two countries “know what it is like to overcome the scars of the past and build ties of friendship that promote each other’s stability and prosperity.” The Imperial […]

October 21, 2015

National Book Store Brings Itoya to the Philippines

Two heritage brands join together to bring to the Philippine shores more than just stationery but self-expression pieces from Japan that are products of innovation and excellence. National Book Store, the Philippines’ premier bookstore that started in the 1940’s and Itoya, a 111-year-old stationery company in Japan recently launched the Itoya brand of school, office, and travel supplies at the Powerbooks in Greenbelt 4 Makati on October 14. The Filipino company is bringing the Itoya brand to the local market through its vast network of stores nationwide. Itoya is an iconic stationery brand in Ginza, Japan whose 12-storey shop has also become a tourism spot in the district with its […]

December 28, 2015

New World Makati Launches New Japanese Menu

New World Hotel Makati, with its newly appointed Japanese Chef de partie Jovel Doringo has recently launched its new Japanese menu offering at Cafe 1228. A favourite among expats, Cafe 1228, New World Hotel’s buffet restaurant that features five interactive live-cooking stations as well as a full a la carte menu for all-day dining has seen a boost in its Japanese patrons as word has started to make rounds in the expats community about the restaurant’s first-rate upgrade on its Japanese menu. The sushi platter, with its interplay of colors and flavours, articulates authentic Japanese distinction in every facet. The expanded and enhanced menu that highlights Japanese favorites like Sushi, […]

October 13, 2015

Savour Australia at New World Hotel

The chefs at New World Makati Hotel, in partnership with the Australian Trade Commission and the State Government of Victoria, Australia, share their expertise on high-quality meats, wines and cheeses through a hotel-wide Australian promotion from October 19 to November 8. A preview of the exciting things to come was held on October 1 and it surely did feel like a feast for the kings. Premium Tomahawk During the 3-week promotion, restaurants at the New World Hotel will feature quality wines and an array of cheeses topped with top-grade Australian produce from Tasmania and Victoria. Visit Café 1228 and experience a grass-fed O’Connor Premium Beef prepared into an array of carving […]

February 28, 2017

Hotel Intercon Closes to Give Way to New Development

The Hotel Intercontinental, one of the oldest landmarks and vestiges of early Makati established in 1969 will be closing by end of 2015 to give way to a new development also under the Ayala Land Inc. (ALI). The hotel management contract between ALI’s AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corporation (AHRC) subsidiary and the InterContinental Hotels Group is set to expire on Dec. 31. With this cessation, ALI said that the property giant is looking to develop another mixed-use development at the InterCon area in 2016 that will transform the entrance of Ayala Center in Makati City into a modern gateway, with first-of-its-kind intermodal transport facility designed especially for the commuting public. The […]

December 28, 2015

Pasta-all-you-can at Amici on Oct 17!

Celebrate National Pasta Day at Amici on October 17! Mark the date and bring along your family, friends, and officemates from 2pm-7pm and enjoy Amici’s pasta-all-you-can for only P395 on selected dishes (Spaghetti al Pomodoro, Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Linguine al Prosciutto e Tartulo, Spaghetti Aglio e Pepperoncino). You can also be part of Amici’s Great Pasta Mosaic by tagging your pasta photos on Instagram with ‪#‎PastaForAll and ‪#‎AmiciPH. Enjoy this treat at all Amici branches! Don Bosco, Makati 818 – 4444 Tomas Morato, Quezon City 376-6458 Megamall Atrium (3F), Mandaluyong City 636-1340 Greenhills, San Juan 724-4804 Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City 621-6111 Venice Piazza @McKinley Hill Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 555-1000 UP […]

October 09, 2015

COSPLAY MANIA 2015: Keeping Japanese Pop Culture Alive in Manila

Judging from the number of excited attendees and participants from the recently-concluded Cosplay Mania 2015, it’s evident that the Japanese pop culture continues to have a strong following among Manila’s young and not-so-young set. For two days, all streets leading to MOA saw be-suited, wigged, winged, creatively-dressed participants and challengers on a mission to be named as the best cosplayers in the land. However, more than cosplay – the event showcased a growing community of Japanese pop culture aficionados: from the young set who enjoyed cosplaying and dressing up as their favorite characters to the mom and pop types on the look-out for their favorite manga or action figure. Japanese […]

October 08, 2015

UKOKKEi Japan Opens at SM Megamall

Relish yourself with 10 different kinds of ramen hailing from 10 cities in Japan as UKOKKEi Japan finally makes its grand opening at SM Megamall. The man behind the menu is Ukokkei Master himself— Chef Funatsu Yasuhiko whose recipes have been used by two of the most famous ramen restaurants in the metro, namely Ukokkei Ramen Ron & Ramen Daisho. Chef Funatsu Yasuhiko, together with his family spearheaded the grand opening of UKOKKEi Japan in SM Megamall. On a side note, aside from the delicious choices of ramen, the Gyoza is something to look forward as it directly melts into your mouth upon biting. The opening was handled by the […]