Eid al-Adha no longer national non-working holidays

Isn't Malacanang just lame? Allow me to rant here because Malacanang just flip-flopped on its Eid al-Adha holidays declaration last April. Sorry folks but November 27 and 28 are no longer national non-working holidays now that the Palace downgraded them to regional holidays only in the ARMM.

According to the DOLE, "Malacañang Palace has declared November 27 and 28, 2009 (Eid'l Adha) as regional holidays in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by virtue of Proclamation No. 1808-A.

"Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque thus clarified that November 27 and 28, 2009 are not to be observed as holidays throughout the country.

"Roque said that the new issuance effectively amended the earlier Proclamation No. 1808, issued earlier on April 21, 2009, which had declared November 28 and 29 this year as national holidays."

Sorry guys if you made travel plans. But that's just the way it is.

Pampanga: Ultimate Pampanga Culinary and Heritage Tour on November 7

We have a few slots left for our Ultimate Pampanga Culinary and Heritage Tour on November 7. As always, we'll be visiting Claude Tayag and savor his 5-ways of eating lechon. To read more about the tour, check out Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung, Everybody's Cafe and more from Pampanga.

It's Php4,000 per head inclusive of all meals, transportation and surprises. To reserve for the tour, please e-mail reservations@ultimatephilippines.com or contact Ivan Man Dy at +63 917 3291622.

Also check out the Ultimate Tours 2010 Calendar. Those who reserve for the Ultimate Batanes Culinary and Heritage Tours on or before December 31, 2009 get a Php2,000 discount from the Php34,000 tour price. Remember, the earlier you pay, the better your room at Fundacion Pacita.

Manila: White Hat Yogurt serves great frozen yogurt!

I've secretly been craving for a lot of yogurt lately. And The White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt has satisfied my appetite the past few weeks. I've been finding time to write about the great yogurt they serve. And since they have a Celebrity for Charity event this Saturday, it's about time I did.

The first time I tried their yogurt was when I was doing research about healthy food for a TV guesting on QTV. And I've been a fan ever since because of the deliciously sour taste of their yogurt. Aside from the plain yogurt, they also serve strawberry and green tea flavored yogurt in some of their branches which is really good. They also have take home pints in various flavors. Ask if the store has black berry because that one is really good too.

And there are plenty toppings to choose from from the usual suspects to some unique selections. Have you ever tried yogurt with mochi, kiwi and granola?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to that Celebrity for Charity event on Saturday, October 31, 2009 since the beneficiary is UP Sagip Isko. Sagip Isko started out as a response to victims of Typhoon Ondoy, but which is shaping up to become a permanent disaster response program of the University Student Council. The celebrity this weekend is my brod Nico Ibaviosa (thanks for volunteering). So I'm inviting you to buy yogurt at White Hat SM North EDSA this Saturday, October 31, 2009 since a percentage of the sales for the day in that branch will go to UP Sagip Isko. If you come in a Halloween costume between 1 to 5 p.m., you can get a chance to win a two-month supply of White Hat yogurt!

Palawan: Great food at Bistro Coron & Seadive Resort

Coron has its own food surprises. And Bistro Coron most definitely tops the list. It has a really extensive menu which includes pizza, pasta, beef, chicken, pork, seafood, soups, salads, sandwiches and dessert, plus a bar list that includes close to seventy drinks and cocktails.

As always, pizza was one of the choices. They have nine kinds including one called a Panizza which is pizza on bread. We got the one called Bistro which has tomato, onion, garlic, mushrooms and ground beef toppings. They usually come in three sizes and cost Php179, Php249 and Php389 respectively. They served the pizza on a tray which reminded me of another really good pizza I had at the Romblon Deli.

The beef dishes are quite popular among the foreigners. And I'm sure you'll find something there that will suit your taste.

Since we stayed at Seadive Resort, many of our meals were at the restaurant. I was told one of their best sellers was steak. Of course, pizza and pasta was in our selection. One of their pasta has a ginger and coconut milk sauce. Unusual for pasta but it was quite good. You can also check out their blackboard for the special for the day.

Coron pasalubong
Cashew nuts or casuy is one of the things you bring home from Coron. And the place to get casuy is from Coron Harvest. It's close to the port area which a few minutes away from the town proper. Aside from the usual toasted or garlic cashew, the best buys would be Bandi, that is cashew with caramelized brown sugar; and Brittle which has both caramelized sugar and honey!

Palawan: Banol Beach, Twin Lagoon, Kayangan Lake and Siete Pecados Marine Park in Coron

Coron is simply stunning. Since we only had a day to go around, we decided to do both Culion and the Coron in one day. Remember that Coron Town is on Busuanga Island while most of the popular attractions are on Coron Island. Coron Island is characterized by massive limestone karst rock formations, lakes and lagoons and is part of the ancestral domain of the Tagbanua.

We left Culion after lunch and began our trip around Coron Island. The first stop was an hour and 30 minutes away. It was a bit cloudy on the way to Coron Island but once we got to Banol Beach, the sun was out and perfect for a swim.

Banol Beach is a small beach and is perfect for a picnic. You can actually buy fresh seafood or meat at the market before leaving Coron and request your boatman to grill it while at one of the beaches. Remember though not to venture too far from the shore since we were warned Banol has a lot of sea urchins if you explore too far from the beach. Entrance fee to the beach is Php100. We didn't stay too long in Banol since we wanted to see the other attractions.

Our next stop was Twin Lagoon which is two salt water lakes separated by a narrow opening. It's best to swim with your life vest on since it gets really deep in some parts. At low tide, you can swim across the narrow opening to get to the other lake. But when the tide is high, the opening is completely submerged and you'll have to swim through it.

One option would have been to visit Kayangan Lake which is really picturesque. The lake, which is nestled amidst spectacular limestone kasrt rock formations, is simply stunning. But that needs at least an hour: 15 minutes to hike to the lake, at least 30 minutes for a swim, and another 15 minutes to hike back to the boat. So we decided to reserve the lake for another trip. Entrance fee to Kayangan Lake is Php200.

Our last stop was the Siete Pecados Marine Park which is very popular for snorkeling. The boatmen usually refer to it as Seven Islands. Like Coron Island, the islets of Siete Pecados are also limestone karst formations. To make sure that the coral formations don't get damaged, boats anchor on buoys installed for the purpose.

A favorite activity when snorkeling in Siete Pecados would be feeding the fish with bread. So don't forget to bring your supply since the fish literally swarm around you as you gradually release the bread. Entrance fee to Siete Pecados Marine Park is Php100.

Since the sun was starting to set, we headed back to Coron Town. It would have been a good option to climb Mt. Tapyas to watch the sunset. But we got lazy and decided to just chill in our hotel room. Food adventures coming up next!

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Things to do in Coron, Busuanga and Culion, Palawan
Coron hotels, transportation and more stuff to help you plan your trip