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A little pink book with a ridiculously mushy cover art and swirly fonts…

Is this a pocketbook?

Nope. It’s Bob Ong’s latest creation Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin. 

If the title sounds familiar to you, like a local song you might hear on afternoon siesta radio, then you’re on the right track because that’s what this book is all about.

Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin in a nutshell is one big, delicious, satire of Philippine media. It covers everything from action movies to billboards, TV reality contests to telenovelas (aka teleserye, sinserye, fantaserye, etc.), literature to OPM to Facebook statuses.

Is it a Screenplay? 

Bob Ong just never seems to run out of creative ideas when it comes to book formats. While his earlier works are  a collection of interesting and humorous short stories from his own point of view, his portfolio has widened through the years to include a graphic art novel (that’s almost like a children’s storybook), a surprisingly horror-themed piece, and now, a screenplay.

And it’s no ordinary screenplay because it’s done a la Shake Rattle ‘n Roll style with 3 short stories that are part of one big, very-Pinoy movie.

• Part 1: Bala sa Bala Kamao sa Kamao Satsat sa Satsat – A stereotypical action movie
• Part 2: Skake Shaker Shakest – A plot-less horror movie
• Part 3: Asawa ni Marie – A very familiar drama

Personally, I appreciate this screenplay format because I’m a Communication Arts graduate and I have been taught to read and write scripts and screenplays during my college years. However, I’m not sure if this style will be very popular among all of Bob Ong’s readers. But I don’t think that it’s a problem because basing on the content of this book, it really was intended for the eyes of people who are somehow linked with Philippine media. It was meant to be read by the people whose very works were tackled, criticized, and osterized in all three chapters. It was written in the hopes of affecting change.

And besides, it’s simple enough to read and understand even without a Liberal Arts degree. So don’t you worry!

Is it easy to relate to? 

MOST DEFINITELY. If you’re a true-blue Filipino then you will surely find a lot of things eerily (and hilariously) familiar in this book:

• Noontime variety shows
• Weekend variety shows (alam mong, magkaiba yan!)
• Action stars turned politicians
• A fiesta of billboards along major highways
• Annoying Facebook and Twitter status updates
• Biased and nonsense journalism
• Sensationalized news
• Recurring (walang-kamatayang) plots in drama shows/movies
• Pretty faces trying so much to convince us with mediocre hosting/acting/singing/dancing
• Recycled music from creativity-malnourished artists
• Sappy movie titles taken from love songs

And the list goes on…

Is it entertaining?

Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin gave me numerous hearty laughs and a lot of mischievous sniggers. So YES, it’s a VERY ENTERTAINING piece of literature.

And I do mean a significant literary piece. You shouldn’t consider something as trash or a joke just because it’s funny. I think that was one of the points Bob Ong made in chapter 2. Literary critics like praising themselves and only give credit to things that they think are at par with their own personal standards. I think I’ve heard (before) that some Pinoy critics hate Bob Ong because he writes in Tag-Lish and mostly about funny, mundane stuff. But hey, it was Bob Ong’s first few books that got my high school friends to start reading BOOKS. And mind you, they were the rowdiest of boys too. I never expected them to read books of any kind back then. Thanks to his witty approach, Bob Ong was able to hook a lot of young people into reading.

Back to “Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin”…

Packed with sharp commentary and witty criticisms here and there, Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin is a must-read for people who are tired of the same old things in media today. It’s perfect for anybody who’s interested in pop culture, and frankly, it’s perfect for just about anyone who’s looking for a smart and funny read.

I highly recommend it!

PS: Selling price is just PHP175.00. Cover design and illustrations by Manix Abrera and Kitt Lapena. Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin is by Bob Ong, published by Visprint, Inc.

Hi I’m Ariane and I work as a freelance [insert raket here]. I left the corporate world a couple of years ago to pursue a life of freedom and independence and am now a full-pledged freelancer. But enough about my career, today I’m going to talk about one of the things that freelancers and other self-employed individuals should know- PhilHealth Membership. 

Back when I worked in the marketing team of an IT company, I rested on the comforts and safety of my compensations package and benefits. I also had the help of a very capable HR team who was always there to help us out with the nitty-gritty details of SSS, Philhealth, Pag-ibig Fund and all that jazz. Aside from life insurance, we also had an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) package that took care of any hospitalization and medical emergencies.

But of course, my freedom had a price and that meant bye-bye healthcare and bye-bye HR team.

I always knew that I had to update my membership in PhilHealth (and SSS and Pag-Ibig) but I never found time for it.

Fast-forward to March 2012 and BOOM! My elder brother underwent surgery for an appendectomy. Being a nurse, he was lucky that he got hospitalized in the same  institution he worked in. That meant less expenses. And with his PhilHealth membership, that meant even LESSER expenses.

So that got me shaken. You’ll never know when a medical emergency will happen. You’ll never know when you’ll require hospitalization. I needed to update and pay for my PhilHealth NOW.

So for everyone out there who’s working solo just like me, and for those people who are their own bosses, read up because here’s how you do it.

First, Some PhilHealth 101

PhilHealth is our government’s own little version of universal healthcare. It gets its funds from both the national and local government, as well as from the premiums that it collects from its members.

Anybody can be a PhilHealth member. All Filipino citizens are eligible for membership whether you’re employed, self-employed, unemployed, or even if you’re an OFW who works in another country. But do remember that you have to be an active member, meaning, you have to pay the premium.

Individually Paying Members (IPMs) earning an average monthly income of P25,000 and below pay P300 quarterly or P1,200 per year, while those earning above P25,000 pay P600 quarterly or P2,400 per year. Premium contributions may be paid quarterly, semi-annually and annually.

You can also have dependents who can benefit from your membership. This can refer to parents over 60 (years of age), or kids if you have any.

What’s PhilHealth for?

According to their website, these are the benefits of a PhilHealth Membership:

PhilHealth provides subsidies for hospital room and board fees, drugs and medicines, laboratory exams, use of operating room complex and professional fees for confinements of not less than 24 hours.

To see a full list of their benefits, click here.

So you see, being a PhilHealth member will come in very handy during emergencies. Therefore, if you’re not a member yet, it’s time for you to get a move on.

How to Revive / Update your Membership

If you’re like me and you’re already a PhilHealth Member with a PhilHealth Number (thank you HR!), now that you’re self-employed, you can still continue your membership. The same rules will apply if you’re a new member. 

1. Prepare a valid ID together with the required documents for your dependents (Birth Certificates, Marriage Contract…). For existing members, take note of your PhilHealth Number.
2. Go to the PhilHealth office nearest you. Click here for the locations.
3. Go to their information counter and ask for a PMRF (PhilHealth Membership Registration Form. Make sure to tell them if you’re a new member or not. You can also get it online here.
4. Fill out the form with your personal information, then attach the supporting documents for your dependents.
5. Submit it back to them and wait for your name to be called.
6. They will call your name and there will be a short briefing on what PhilHealth is all about. This will be be done in groups.
7. Wait some time before they call you again. New members should have a PIN/ID Number by now. You will be asked to check if they typed in your data correctly. Check the spelling of your name and make sure there are no mistakes.
8. You will then be asked to pay your membership dues. The minimum is for you to pay the quarterly amount (in my case PHP300), but if you want to pay for the whole year, that’s fine. They will issue you a receipt for this.
9. Go back to the transaction counters and show them the receipt. You will then be handed your MDR or Member’s Data Record, together with your ID (for those who don’t have one yet).
10. Go home and take care of your ID. Sign it, attach a photo of yourself and have it laminated. Take care of your MDR as well.

For your next payments, there’s no need to go to their office again. You can pay at any of PhilHealth’s accredited collection partners. (Bayad Centers, LBC, most local banks, etc…)

In Fairness…

The entire process only took me about an hour or so. I liked the fact that they had a readily approachable information counter and a short briefing session for new members. Most government agencies are not helpful and just assume that you automatically know what to do.  They even had a chart by the entrance that shows just how long each process should take and after calculating, my experience did match their timetable. Good job! 

(This is totally the opposite of what I experienced in the SSS office that I went to that same day. There was no readily available assistance for first-timers. All the help I got was from the security guard who was kind enough to answer my queries. The dude who was distributing forms had no clue on what type of form I should get. How useless.)

Attention, fight fans! TechnoMarine has collaborated with boxing champ Manny Pacquiao for the special limited edition “Manny Pacquiao 8″ watch, or more simply called the MP8.

In a hip launch party held last March 1, 2012 at the Sky Lounge (bar) in Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, TechnoMarine unveiled its latest offering which was personally designed by none other than the Pacman himself.

Hosted by Borgy Manotoc and Georgina Wilson, the launch was attended by some of Manila’s most dynamic citizens, media personalities, and celebrities which included Tim Yap, Pops Fernandez, Rhian Ramos and Cesar Montano. The guests also enjoyed awesome tunes from the lovely DJ Nina.

The night’s theme revolved around what Manny Pacquiao’s is most known for- boxing. The stage was made to look like a boxing ring, models dressed as boxers walked down the runway complete with a mock fight, and hooded fighters went around the venue to show off the MP8 watch… and their washboard abs.

Now let’s talk about the star of the night, the MP8 watch.

A Limited Edition Keepsake

The Manny Pacquiao-designed timepiece will surely get collectors buzzing because there are only 1,000 pieces of this special edition watch. So if you’re a hard-core Pacquiao fan, you better grab yours while you still can.

In the back case of the watch, there’s actually an engraved number which shows the unit’s control number in the series (for example, #1 out of 1000).

Celebrating Philippine Pride

Manny Pacquiao is proud of being a Filipino and as a proof of this, the champ made sure that the MP8 has distinct design elements that celebrate his heritage. The TechnoMarine MP8 features red, blue, and yellow colors in the sub-dials which represent the colors of the Philippine flag. There are also yellow sun rays which is a throwback to the symbolic icon on our flag.

[Pop quiz: Do you know what the 8 rays in our flag symbolize?]

A Living Legend in the World of Boxing

The number 8 is highlighted in the specially-designed box as well as in the watch face. This is a tribute to Pacquiao’s unprecedented feat of having 8 world division titles.

The watch face also features the letters M and P which stand for Manny Pacquiao’s initials.

Two Colors

True to TechnoMarine tradition, when you purchase an MP8, you’ll get two watch straps: red and white. This is great for people who like to personalize their accessories according to their moods or outfits for the day. Should you prefer more color options, you can easily go to a TechnoMarine store and purchase additional straps (green, pink, etc.).

The MP8 comes in men’s and ladies’ sizes.

The TechnoMarine Signature

The TechnoMarine brand is known for producing high performing sports watches, and the MP8 is no exemption. While most watches in the market are only waterproof for 50 to 100 meters, the MP8 can handle water resistance of up to 200 meters. That’s more than 600 feet!

So if you’re into water sports, this may just be perfect companion for you. Don’t wear it while boxing though.

The MP8 also features a Chronograph which works similarly to the stopwatch function of digital watches. This is a very handy feature for instances when you need to keep track of time.

The guests of the launch party were treated to a special discount for the MP8 that night. TechnoMarine also gave away 5 of these bad boys to lucky, lucky attendees.

The normal retail price for the TechnoMarine MP8 is PHP29,000. If you’re a an avid Manny Pacquiao fan, and are really into boxing, this special commemorative watch is a dream come true. Sports aficionados looking for a reliable and stylish watch will also find the MP8 a great catch.

The price range may not be for everyone, but hey, it is a TechnoMarine and it’s a limited edition collector’s item after all.

For more information, visit their Facebook page.

PS: Of course, I wouldn’t be fully satisfied without trying it out myself…

Valentine’s Day was very special for me because Mr. Boyfriend surprised me with a bouquet of flowers in the morning and a fancy dinner later in the day. What made it even more special was that he took me to a very nice restaurant called Chef’s Table. 

Chef’s Table is located at the Infinity Tower at 26th Street, The Fort Global City, Taguig. You won’t miss it because there’s a big signage at the entrance that says Chef’s Table. Parking is free at the basement below.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff and ushered to our table. Everybody was warm and friendly.

Jave (AKA Mr. Boyrfriend) purchased Deal Grocer vouchers for our date. It was for a special Valentine-themed 4-course meal which was called *ehem* “Lust”.

But before we proceed with the food, let’s talk about the restaurant…

Chef’s Table is the brainchild of Chef Bruce Lim. He graduated from a prestigious culinary school London and he’s also a celebrity chef with his own show in Asian Food Channel called Tablescapes. I’ve also seen him guest on various local TV shows.

Here’s a fun fact, he was able to train under the tutelage of Mr. Hell’s Kitchen himself, Chef Gordon Ramsay. Speaking of television shows, are you a fan of Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, or any other reality TV cooking shows? If so then Chef’s Table is perfect for you.

With its unique layout and design, Chef’s Table is perfect for culinary enthusiasts as it provides diners with a full and unadulterated view of the kitchen. If you seat yourself by the specially designed bar tables, it’s like watching your very own live cooking show. That way, you’ll have no doubts about the preparation, hygiene, and overall effort that goes into making your food. I’m guessing this is where the concept of the resto’s name came from- Chef’s Table. You can eat literally alongside the chef’s table where they’re chopping ingredients and plating dishes.

The ambience of the restaurant is intimate but not stuffy. It has modern furnishings matched by little details that are very Pinoy. The dim-lighting and accents add to the fine dining experience, but you don’t feel threatened by the understated panache.

Here’s another fun fact, we noticed that both the (male) chefs and servers were all bald (or skinhead). I asked our server and he said that it was really a requirement by Chef Bruce who is also proudly bald. It’s obviously great for hygienic purposes but, it is very cute too. It makes the staff look like a well-knit team. Like how the UP cheerdancers once cut all of their hairs short. Or how the DLSU basketball team shaved their heads.

The layout of the restaurant is also pretty unique. It reminds me of an open-space loft where there’s one big, high-ceiling room and a mezzanine-like second floor. As I’ve said, the restaurant doesn’t feel stuffy. It’s easy to move around in, and I’m sure this works well for both the customers and the staff. It’s probably good for Feng Shui too. Hehe.

By the way, I checked out their second floor and it seems like a nice place to hold small corporate meetings or special events. The space is limited though so it’s just for intimate affairs.

Since it was Valentine’s Day, they added a little romantic touch to the tables with red rose petals surrounding the candlelight. They also gave out long-stemmed roses to the ladies. It was a very nice gesture indeed.

Now on to the food!

The meal started with the special Love Potion No. 5 Cocktail which Jave and I really liked. It’s a sweet, red drink that tasted very similar to a Sangria. It was the perfect way to begin the celebration/meal.

Next came the  Spicy Ginataang Seafood Soup which contained local Capiz shellfish simmered in lemongrass coconut seafood broth. I must admit that I’m not a huge fan of neither seafood nor soups, but this really turned me around. The soup was divine! It tasted both simple and complicated at the same time, like an upgraded and upscale version of the soup that your mom would make. It wasn’t too spicy which I appreciated a lot.

This was followed by the Gayuma Platter which contained spiced and marinated fresh oysters, and sautéed balut in chili garlic. To tell you the truth, the looks of the dish freaked me out a little. I have never eaten balut before. But since it was a special night, I was up for the challenge! I didn’t eat the part that looked like a little chick already. Hehe. It was a fun experience though, like a cool way to break the ice, something to spark up laughter and conversation.

For the main dish we had two options- oven-roasted Chili Prawns or Spiced Pork Ribs. Jave went with the Chili Prawns and I chose the Ribs. Both tasted great! In fact, Jave wished he could have had more of the Prawns.

Dessert came and we were both excited. When the Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta was served, we eagerly dipped our spoons and scooped away. The Panna Cotta was very rich and smooth, and the nuts on the side paired with it perfectly to add texture. To sum the dessert in one word- YUMMMM!

I loved the food! But what I really loved more was the fact that Chef Bruce himself visited our table about three of four times to ask if we were okay or if we liked the food. It made us feel that we were really being taken care of and that he really wants to ensure our enjoyment.

What’s funny is that the first few times he came over, all Jave and I could say were one-liners like “Yes“, “Great” and my personal favorite “Yeah“. Talk about spacing out! =)) Eventually we were able to blurt out entire sentences. Thank goodness!

Most of the things on our special Valentine dinner are not on their regular menu but they do have a lot of other offerings that look very interesting. They have dishes such as:

• Ensaladang Tuna at Salmon
• Kangkong Melon Soup
• Inasal na Chicken Ceasar Salad
• Adobong Pusit Pasta
• Ilocano Table on a Plate 
• Buko Pie Martini

Note: Prices range from PHP200-550 per dish +service charge.

Very playfully Pinoy right? With these other dishes to look forward to and the nice experience we got, surely we’ll be coming back to Chef’s Table in the future.

For more information about Chef’s table, visit their website here. 

Milk Tea has become so popular in Manila that now, even well-established coffee shops are trying to join in on the fun. Two of the most popular cafe’s are now serving milk tea drinks to its patrons. The question is, were they able to pull it off? Or are their efforts to win back the market segment going to end up in spoiled defeat.

Case # 1: Seattle’s Best Coffee – SBC Milk Tea

What I thought about it: 

SBC offers milk tea in both hot and cold variants. I ordered a regular cup of iced milk tea a few weeks ago for PHP 110 (large costs PHP120). As of the moment, these drinks will be available only until March 2012.

At first glance, the drink looks pretty similar to most of the milk tea drinks out there except for one thing, SBC’s drink has red pearls. How did I like it? Err. Actually, it didn’t look too appetizing for me. I’m already used to black pearls way back from when Zagu first hit the market. Seeing red balls in my drink didn’t give me the same feelings of looking forward to the yummy, gummy sinkers. And once I tried them, they were soft on the outside but a little hard on the inside. It felt like the pearls weren’t properly cooked. They reminded me of regular gulaman but with a more solid center. So for the red pearls, the drink gets a fail mark for me.

Let’s now move on to the taste of the milk tea itself (the liquid part). I personally find the drink too sweet. I was expecting them to give me a more defined tea-taste but it was the other way around. Compared to most tea drinks out there, SBC’s milk tea leans toward the sweeter end of the spectrum. It’s also important to note that the sugar levels cannot be altered. The drink can’t be personalized for that matter.

To tell you the truth, I didn’t bother finishing my cup that day. After about trying 1/3 of the drink, I gave up.

PS: I have one friend who completely agrees with me on this drink. She’s a more fanatic milk tea fan than me. However, I do know of another friend who gave good comments about this drink. She says that she likes the sweetness and loves the red pearls. Personally, I found that weird, but of course I respect her own opinions. =) She’s not a big fan of milk tea.

Case # 2: Figaro’s Milk Tea Craze

What I thought about it:

Figaro took the milk tea craze a little more seriously by naming their new line of drinks just that- Milk Tea Craze. Unlike SBC that offered only one flavor, Figaro went ahead and experimented with five variants:

• Taro Pudding Milk Tea (PHP89)
• Strawberry Lemon Iced Tea (PHP75)
• Taro Pudding Chiller Feast (PHP100)
• Raspberry Milk Tea with Yakult (PHP90)
• Strawberry Milk Tea with Yakult (PHP90)

Last week, I went ahead and tried their Strawberry Milk Tea with Yakult. In all fairness to Figaro, I have to give them props for trying to create unique flavors of their own. Although I will put this a couple of notches higher that SBC’s milk tea offering, I can’t say that I’m in love with the drink either. There wasn’t anything wrong that I can pinpoint so let me just summarize that for me, strawberry+milk+tea+yakult=weird. :p

But because they have other flavors however, there’s a huge possibility that I’ll come back and try them too.

I think that tea drinkers who prefer fruity, tangy tastes should try this new product line.

My two cents on these two drinks:

Big coffee chains adding milk tea to their menu says a lot about just how big the Taiwanese drinks have hit Manila. However, I’m not so sure if these attempts at joining the bandwagon will pay off for them. After all, I think one of the main reasons on why these drinks are so popular is because they’re a nice alternative for when you’re not in the mood to go to a coffee shop or get a macchiato. Coffee drinking especially for young people (the students to yuppies age group) has reached its height already and of course, the market is always scouting for new options. Diversifying can be a great thing, but sometimes, it’s best to stick at what you’re good at and improve on that instead.

Instead of mimicking the Taiwanese pearl milk tea drinks, why don’t they create hot tea lattes instead a la CBTL.

As for the taste, I personally didn’t enjoy their bets but maybe others out there will. (If you’ve tasted them yourself, please feel free to comment below)

They also missed an important angle in the milk tea craze, the healthy option angle. Most tea shops can customize the drink’s sugar levels depending on the customer’s preference. Removing this option is a bit of a downer.

But again, kudos to these brands for responding to the market and paying close attention to what the people want. (I highly doubt that Starbucks will jump on the bandwagon though)

All in all, as a customer, all of this is great news to me. The more options I have, the happier I will be.

Note:  By most milk tea shops, I’m referring to Serenitea, Chatime, Gong Cha, etc.