A Gift For My Motherland


If there is one thing you can give to the Philippines, what is that gift?

Image from:
http://www.atlantishotel.com/azores/route_maps.php

This question is difficult to answer because the Philippines has 7,107 islands and I’m pretty sure those islands have different needs so one gift wouldn’t be enough. I sincerely wanted to help the victims of the typhoon Yolanda and Pablo, and the earthquake victims in Bohol, but I want a gift that the whole country could benefit from regardless of your religion, occupation or Facebook status. 
Corruption, drugs, poverty, child pornography are some of the problems our country had been facing.
In order to think of a gift, one must think of  what our country needs. And to know what our country needs is to analyze the problems that the Philippines has been facing for so long. These problems are (and not limited to) corruption (synonym: Napoles – just kidding!), poverty, drugs, trash, women trafficking and the latest is child pornography where the Philippines is among the top 10 countries with the most rampant cyber pornographic activities according to Virtual Global Taskforce. 

Image from: http://tropicalpenpals.com/the-paradise/
Now, the problems listed are a never-ending loop: corruption leads to poverty and poverty leads to women trafficking, child pornography and even drugs. Some say it’s also poverty that local public officials are corrupt. So let’s tackle the one that’s not included in the loop and that is  trash. 

The Philippines is RICH of trash or garbage. Metro Manila alone collects 1,900 tons of trash in a day. It causes air and water pollution that we all know will do no good to everyone – be it animals, humans or plants.

Image from: http://tropicalpenpals.com/the-paradise/

So what do we do? Recycle – in a whole different level! We all know that recycling reduces trash, but I think the Philippines need to level this up and I’m talking about turning garbage into fuel.

Garbage into fuel?! 
Yes, it's posisble and a Filipino inventor is already doing this and his name is Jayme Navarro, owner of Poly-Green Technology and Resources Inc., using his Pyrolysis technology.  His invention can make street trash like sando bags, garbage bags, Styrofoam into fuel and not just any fuel, but a cleaner, low-sulfur, environmental-friendly fuel.

Now what can this do to our country?
Using Pyrolysis technology, 5000 kilos of contaminated plastic can be converted to 400 liters of diesel and gasoline fuel oil. Manila collects 1,900 tons of garbage in a day so imagine how much fuel that could make in a day! A time might even come that we’re sustaining our own fuel and we don’t need to import anymore. Imagine how much money it can save us and imagine how much profits we can do without harming Mother Nature. It’s definitely the best way to fight global warming. Imagine our own garbage trucks run by our own recycled fuel. Now, that’s leveling up! 

Man pumps up natural/recycled gas to his garbage truck.
Now, back to the original question: what is the one thing I want to give to the Philippines?
It would be a 1-minute infomercial that will inform every Filipino that Jayme Navarro’s Pyrolysis technology exists and it works. That infomercial will also show what benefits it would give to the Philippines and hopefully it would also encourage our government, investors or companies ( local or foreign) to support Mr. Navarro’s expansion of his facilities throughout the country to help lessen or eradicate garbage problem in the Philippines. If the infomercial works and the Pyrolysis tech is being applied in at least 70% of the major cities in the country, then it's a major step for us towards a better and wonderful life up to the next generation and up to the next.  #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014

For more details about Jayme Navarro's Pyrolysis technology, you may visit the following sites for references: 
  • http://filipinoachievers.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/jayme-navarro-invented-fuel-from-plastic-trash-bags/
  • http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/in-the-philippines-turning-plastic-waste-into-fuel/
  • http://gotecotech.com/turn-plastic-into-gasoline-diesel-kerosene/


I love the Philippines very much and I still believe we can do so much to help our country even in our own little things. 

If you’d like to volunteer or make a donation, visit www.projectwonderful.ph

What about you? What’s your gift to the Philippines? 
Answer this question in the comment section below and if my post wins, one reader will be selected from the comments box and will win an I-Pad Mini 2.




Dunkin Donuts' Dunka Boodle

Dunkin Donut's will always have a special place in my heart because it's the first donut restaurant we had in Batangas City that we always go to when I was still in Kindergarten. Over the years, they still managed to stay around even though competition is tight nowadays. But for an average Pinoy like me, I still believe Dunkin Donuts is still the "Pasalubong ng Bayan" because of their reasonably priced donuts that kids and kids at heart love.

For moms like me, I sometimes struggle what to buy in their store whether its donuts or Munchkins because my kids love them both so sometimes, I buy two boxes - one for donuts and one for Munchkins which is sometimes costly for me already. So that's why I'm glad they came up with their new box, the Dunkin Donut's Dunka Boodle! One box consists of 6 classic donuts and 20 Munchkins. All for P199 only.

Premium donuts for P33-35 each.
 


Dunkin Donuts
SM Food Court
3rd Floor, SM Southmall
Alabang-Zapote Road, Las Pinas City.

SM City BF Paranaque Opens!

Last November 29, 2013 was the grand opening of SM City BF Paranaque. As a resident of BF Homes, I felt that I was obliged to go to this place and see what's inside :)  Besides, it's just one tricycle ride/jeepney ride away.



Free samples of all 3 Nescafe products





This sight is really mesmerizing.







The Department Store (Kids Section): The dresses here are so nice.

Yup! That's my son already canvassing the gifts he would want to receive on Christmas day.


Ninja Turtles are one of his favorite toys and you can really tell.


Quite small waiting area for people planning to watch a movie.


Yes! Hooray for Breastfeeding rooms! It makes breastfeeding easier for BF mommies like me.

They sell great chocolate cakes here

That's all the pictures I have. I wasn't able to take pictures of establishments such as Krispy Kreme, Japanese Donuts, Auntie Anne's, National Bookstore, and the typical fastfood chains such as Jollibee, KFC, Chowking, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc. I was quite disheartened not seeing Mister Donut or Dunkin Donuts around because I was planning to take home some at that time.

Well, the place is still young, but it's a nice place to go if you want to go "malling." Though some stores are not yet open such as Starbucks and J. Co Donuts, the place is still worth checking out.

UPDATES (1/22/2014)
  • Starbucks is already open.
  • Mary Grace restaurant is open. 
  • Krispy Kreme is open. 
  • Toho Restaurant seems to be one of the crowd's favorite restos.
  • Vikings buffet will be opening soon. 
  • Still more high-end stores will be opening.


SM City BF Paranaque
President's Avenue cor. Dr. A Santos Ave.
Paranaque

Short Cake Review: Mango Chantily Cake by Goldilocks

I like this Mango Chantily cake. It has a fair amount of mango bits and cream, and it has mango marshmallows. I like this cake better than butter cream cakes.Best of all, the price for the whole cake is only P390!  Yup, I could have bought that greeting cake from Red Ribbon worth P299, but this mango cake looks a bit more festive and special.



Mango Chantily Cake by Goldilocks
Layers of mango and vanilla chiffon filled with Italian icing and mango jam and decorated with Mango marshmallows


Goldilocks Bakeshop
President's Avenue,
BF Homes, Paranaque
826-6314
http://www.goldilocks.com.ph

FOODPORT 2013

The UP students are at it again! This time, it's the UP Industrial Engineering Club, a duly recognized organization based in the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Engineering,  who is organizing a fundraising event called FOODPORT 2013! It's a food fair for cuisines from different countries and cultures.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the UP IE Club Scholarship Fund, our which sends bright but underprivileged students through college.


The picture pretty much says it all. The event will be held beside Christ the King Church along Greenmeadows Avenue. on November 30 to December 1, 2013 only from 6am to 10PM.

I am deeply saddened that I won't be able to cover the event because I'm not available on those dates, but I'm sure it will be a blast just like the recently concluded Foodgasm III event.

Tous Les Jours' Monster Cake

Last October 31, I was having a hard time deciding where to buy the perfect Halloween cake for my family. There were plenty of choices actually. Fortune, Goldilocks, Tous Les Jours, etc. In the end, I chose Tous Les Jours because of the name and because I had a voucher from Deal Grocer :P

Tous Les Jours' Blue Monster Cake -
Chocolate chiffon covered in buttercream
When I first saw the cake, my first reaction was, "Hmm...it's a bit small." I placed a ruler on top of it and it only measures almost 7 inches.

Chocolate chiffon with choco filling.
The inside is very similar to their bear cake which was quite disappointing for me.


The taste was so-so. Nothing much to brag about - only the design. I told myself not never to buy any cakes with butter cream icing on them.

What really made me sad was their price of P698! It's sooo expensive! At this price, I should have bought a 12x12 chocolate cake from Goldilocks or a regular sized Black Forest from Red Ribbon or better yet, a Mango Bravo from Contis'! *sigh* Sorry, Tous Les Jours. I love your store and I love your bread and pastries, but for this particular cake, it's a thumbs down for me.


Tous Les Jours
http://www.tlj.ph/

*This particular cake was purchased at:
SM Southmall Branch
1170 UGF SM Southmall,
Alabang, Zapote Road,
Almanza Uno, Las Pinas City
(02)621-0637