Review: Southwinds Hotel Cagayan de Oro City Mindanao Philippines

Southwinds Hotel is located along Capt. Vicente Roa Street Extension in Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, Philippines. It is a hotel known for its very strategic location - it’s just a few meters away from Gaisano Mall Cagayan de Oro (walking distance) and a few blocks away from Robinson’s Mall Cagayan de Oro and Lim Ket Kai Mall CDO (you can just ride one of the local trisikads or padyaks for 5 pesos per person) It’s also in front of the main branch of Graphic All-In-One (a large chain of stores that sells cellular phones, cellphone accessories and the like).

Just this week, my mom, brother and I stayed in Southwinds Hotel. It was my second time to stay there, the first one was during a media tour sponsored by the Department of Agriculture a few years ago (several Mindanaoan media practitioners visited corn farms and milling areas in Baungon, Bukidnon and were briefed on hybrid corn production). My first visit was a pretty good one so I suggested that we spend our three days in Cagayan de Oro (dubbed the City of Golden Friendship) there. Plus we’ve already tried a couple of hotels in CDO and I wanted to blog about my experience this time around

Apart from its location, another thing that I like about staying in Southwinds Hotel Cagayan de Oro is the fact that its room rates are affordable. For a de luxe room, you only need to pay P1,060.00 (roughly US $25.00). Each deluxe room is good for double occupancy and get this - you also have free breakfast (good for two persons). You can choose whether you want Continental Breakfast, American Style Breakfast or Filipino Breakfast. During our stay, I opted for the Filipino Bangsilog (fried bangus fish seasoned with lots of garlic and pepper, sinangag or fried rice and itlog or egg) meal. Delish. Every breakfast meal comes with brewed or instant coffee.

Now for the room - our deluxe room had two single beds, a dresser, cable TV, cabinets and a small nook where there’s a small table and two cushioned chairs (very convenient especially if you’re on a business trip and you brought a laptop along). There’s hot and cold shower and there’s bedside control for the lights. You will only be provided with a small bar of soap and a sachet of shampoo though so it would be advisable if you could bring toiletries with you. I was also pleased to see that the room had several power outlets (sockets) - that meant that the management didn’t let their guests feel as if they were restricted or something.

One of the “distinct” features of Southwinds Hotel, by the way, is its very ample parking space for clients and guests. In fact, I think Southwinds Hotel is one of the very few remaining hotels in Cagayan de Oro that has that much parking space for guests. Hence, if you’re traveling with family and you brought your vehicle along, you won’t need to worry about safekeeping it.

The one thing that I could probably say I didn’t like during my entire 3-day stay in Southwinds Hotel is the hotel staff members’ lack of courtesy. During our check-in, for instance, one of the female receptionists that I spoke to immediately shifted her attention to another guest, leaving me unattended. That didn’t sit well with me. The other female receptionist, on the other hand, looked gloomy and indifferent and merely recited the “benefits” that come with our room - i.e. free breakfast will be served from 6 to 10 am blah blah. Not once did she and the other receptionist smile or at least looked glad that they had new guests. Also, during breakfast (on our second day there), the waitress, waiters and cooks were all busy watching HBO (”Spiderman 3″ was on and they had this huge TV at Cafe Bea, where the complimentary breakfast was served to hotel guests). So I found it uncomfortable to “interrupt” their HBO-watching session and ask for condiments because they really looked too engrossed watching the movie. The staff members were also busy, loudly chatting about the film which I found uncomfortable as well. I felt that the hotel guests should be given their “privacy” - at least a few minutes of silence during breakfast. I guess they shouldn’t have turned the TV on that day. Instead, soft music will do. Or better yet, they should’ve just switched to a news channel - I’d prefer that over Spiderman 3.

Still, I could probably still see myself staying at Southwinds Hotel Cagayan de Oro sometime soon. The room rates are reasonable, the breakfast meals are hearty and the location’s great. Let’s just hope that their staff members do better next time.

Southwinds Hotel is located along Capt. Vicente Roa Street Extension, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, Philippines.

Are you an owner of a hotel or inn? Do you own a restaurant or any type of business? Do you provide a certain kind of service? Whether your establishment is in Mindanao or in Visayas or Luzon, Mindanaoan can write an honest review about your place or service. Let the people here in Mindanao, Philippines read all about it! Mindanaoan can even write a review about your establishment for FREE! Check this page out or contact me. Should the contact form fail, you may send an email to mindanaoan (at) gmail (dot) com

Sen. Gordon’s New Year’s Message

Here’s the full text of Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon’s New Year’s Message. This coming year 2009 (year of the Ox), I also hope that each and every one of us can be the change or agent of change that our country (badly) needs. It really all comes from within!

Sen. Gordon’s year 2009 message: Let us be the change our country needs.

I extend my warmest greetings to my kababayans here and abroad as you, along with the rest of humanity, eagerly await the dawn of New Year 2009!

Each New Year is a symbol of hope and a herald for new beginnings. The year 2009 stretches across us like a horizon, filled with opportunities to be explored and challenges to be overcome. As we celebrate another milestone in our history, let us not forget the lessons we have learned from the past and continue to work together for the development of our country.

The New Year brings us closer to a time when we Filipinos will be called upon to direct our nation’s course through the 2010 national elections. Let us use the coming year to prepare and chart a course that will lead to the renewal of our country’s values. Let us chart a course for Bagumbayan where we will have a community of people who think, speak, and act for the common good; where everyone has asenso and kaginhawaan; and where Filipinos will find their future, not in foreign shores, but in their very own Filipinas!

The challenge for us now is to make Bagumbayan a reality. Let us all be volunteers in our quest to uplift the lives of our countrymen and be the catalyst for the implementation of much-needed national reforms. Let us be the change that this country needs!

Once again, I would like to wish everyone a prosperous and safe New Year! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang mamamayang Pilipino!

Filipino version of Twilight: Takipsilim is this for real?

Good Lord, did ABS-CBN Channel 2 really pay US $1 Million (that’s roughly 47 million pesos!) to be able to do a so-called “remake” of the hit movie “Twilight”? The Lopez family-owned broadcasting network will reportedly co-produce with Ignite Media a Filipino version of the movie Twilight. Can you seriously, SERIOUSLY imagine Rayver Cruz as Edward Cullen and Shaina Magdayao as Isabella “Bella” Swan? OMG - the Philippines will seriously be the laughing stock of the entire world if this will push through!

And get this - the Twilight Pinoy version will be entitled “Takipsilim” (DUH!)

The taping will reportedly start by February 2009. The Province of Bukidnon, which recently played host to the cast and crew of the Star Cinema production “Love Me Again (Land Down Under)”, will reportedly be one of the shooting locations, along with Tagaytay and Baguio. Cathy Garcia Molina will reportedly be at the helm as the director of Takipsilim.

Here’s the alleged unofficial cast line-up:

Rayver Cruz as Edward Cullen
Shaina Magdayao as Isabella Swan
Valeen Montenegro as Alice Cullen
Luis Manzano as Emmett Cullen
Gabby Concepcion as Dr. Carlisle Cullen
Al Tantay as Charlie Swan
Yayo Aguila as Renee Dwyer
Fred Payawan as Jacob Black
Carlos Agassi as James
Chin Chin Gutierrez as Esme Cullen
Joross Gamboa as Jasper Hale
Karylle as Rosalie Hale
Jessy Mendiola as Jessica Stanley
Empress Schuck as Angela Weber
Brad Murdoch as Laurent
Nikki Bacolod as Victoria
Aaron Villaflor as Mike Newton

Personally, I’m not a huge Twilight fan (but I do agree that Robert Pattinson is H-O-T!) but I certainly don’t want to watch a Filipino version of it!

Malipayong Pasko kaninyong tanan!

From my family to yours - Merry Christmas! (Malipayong Pasko) I hope the past year has been fruitful, peaceful and definitely merry for you and your family. My 2008 has been (and still is!) amazing - I have traveled to more places this year, attended more events and festivals around Mindanao, met more interesting people around the Philippines and tried my hand on more things such as photography, white water rafting and Photoshop dabbling! I intend to continue this amazing journey next year, 2009 - the Year of the Ox. Hopefully, I will travel even farther, increase my list of friends, meet more people, help more strangers, hone my talents more and just become a well-rounded, warmer, more confident, more courageous person. Expect bigger things here in Mindanaoan as well!

Once again, Merry Christmas to you - let love and peace reign! Cheers!

Bukidnon provincial government employees receive P50,000 Christmas bonus

So how much did you receive as Christmas bonus this year? If you think your ten or twenty thousand pesos is already a big amount, think again. Government employees in Bukidnon received fifty thousand pesos for their bonus this December. Yes, Provincial Government of Bukidnon (PGB) employees received P50,000.00 each (more than a thousand US dollars) this year.

Don’t be too surprised, though, because the said amount is actually LESSER than what the regular Bukidnon provincial government employees received last year. The year 2007 saw each and every regular provincial government of Bukidnon employee receiving a staggering eighty thousand pesos (P80,000.00)

Interestingly, some of my friends working in the PGB said that the P50,000.00 still wasn’t enough. They said that they still have to pay a lot of IOUs.

“Daghan pa gihapon mi utang nga pagabayran (We still have a lot of debts to pay off). Nag-hope gyud ko nga more than eighty thousand ang bonus but kini ra man (I really hoped that the bonus would be more than eighty thousand but this is all we got),” one of my female friends said. She recently got hitched and has a baby boy. Still, my friend admitted that the fifty thousand bonus was a big help for her and her family. She admitted it was definitely a far cry from the usual five thousand bonus most private employees in Bukidnon received this year.

Which brings me to ask…how come a province like Bukidnon can afford to give this much as bonus to its government employees?

Busy Christmas shoppers flock to Gaisano Mall Davao

Have you been to Gaisano Mall of Davao lately? Because I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that you will never think there’s a financial crisis going on when you see the throngs of Christmas shoppers in that mall. Actually, the scenes in other malls aren’t different either. A lot of Dabawenyo Christmas shoppers are also busy checking out the Christmas sales in SM Davao, Chimes, 168 Mall Davao, NCCC Mall, Times Square and in other shopping centers around Davao City, Mindanao. I also spotted a lot of people along San Pedro Street (does anybody remember Mantex? What about A & M?)

Anyways, here are some photos I took over the weekend when my family and I bought some gifts at G-Mall:

See? You can’t help but wonder, “Crisis? What crisis?”

I guess CRISIS-mas isn’t “uso” in Pinas!

What about you? Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?

Cagayan de Oro City hotel needs a cook

Here’s a chance for you to work in a hotel, fellow Mindanaoan! If you’re good at cooking, then read on. A hotel in Cagayan de Oro City, Northern Mindanao is in need of a cook. Country Village Hotel needs a male cook whose age is not over 35 years old. Preferably with 4 years of experience.

Interested parties may submit their application letters and resumes to:

The Executive Office
Country Village Hotel
Villarin Street, Carmen
Cagayan de Oro City

You may call these numbers for any inquiries you may have: (08822) 71-22-01 or (088) 858-3004

Good luck!

Two of my most favorite Visayan Christmas carols

Kasadya Ni-ining Takna-a and Ani-a Kami are two of my most favorite Visayan Christmas carols. These songs bring back so many childhood memories - from my father cradling me on his lap to the glee clubs which want to raise money for their groups by singing Christmas carols around our subdivision to the children who bring their homemade musical instruments. I bet all Mindanaoans, Visayans and even Luzonians love these songs!

Just in case you’re also in the mood to sing Christmas carols, here are the lyrics of Kasadya Niining Takna and Ania Kami:

KASADYA NIINING TAKNA-A

Kasadya niining taknaa
Dapit sa kahimayaan,
Mao ra’y among nakita
Ang panagway nga masanagon.
Bulahan ug bulahan
Ang tagbalay nga gi-awitan,
Awit nga halandumon
Sa tanang Pasko, magmalipayon.
Bag-ong tuig, bag-ong kinabuhi,
Duyog sa atong mga pagbati
Atong awiton ug atong laylayon
Aron magmalipayon.

ANI-A KAMI

Ani-a kami
‘Ning gabii sa among panaygon,
Hinaut pa
Nga kaninyo dili makatugaw;
Pasko karon,
Panahon, panahon sa kalipay,
Kay natawo na
Ang Manunubos sa kalibutan.
Sa alas dose ang takna,
May natawo sa pasungan;
Ginatagna ug gipatu-ohan
Manunubos sa kalibuta

Don’t you just love these Bisaya Christmas carols?

What about you? Which carols do you like?

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Review: Casa Crystalla (Budget hotel in Cagayan de Oro City)

Back in college, the Ateneo Glee Club had a joint concert with the Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan University) Glee Club. (Don’t laugh but I was one of the Sopranos of the Ateneo Glee Club :D) Anyways, all of us had to stay with either foster families or in lodging houses in Cagayan de Oro City. Casa Crystalla, a budget hotel in the City of Golden Friendship, was one of the concert’s sponsors and they offered several rooms for my co-club members. (I stayed with the lovely Yap family)

Fast forward a few years later, Casa Crystalla is now one of the CDO inns I stay in whenever I’m in town. There are a couple of reasons why I like staying there - for one, the rates are very affordable (I usually get the deluxe room with ref, table and chairs - like a mini sala set of sorts - and bath tub worth P900.00 per night), secondly, the rooms are clean and thirdly, Casa Crystalla is located right in the heart of the city — just a block away from Xavier University and a few steps away from the Divisoria area where the Night Cafe is held every Friday and Saturday. It’s also very easy to take the jeep or a cab from the inn.

The inn’s room service is actually from Mom’s Corner, a food joint beside Casa Crystalla. You’d need to fork out service charge for every order, though. If you want to dine out, however, you have lots of choices! Casa Crystalla is near fastfood joints (Chowking, McDonald’s, Jollibee are all just a few blocks away), restaurants like Max’s and even local favorites like Annabel’s (where I always have my fill of their killer palabok!) Mom’s Corner is closed on Sundays, though, so if you need to have breakfast or lunch on a Sunday, you’d need to go out of the inn. SM Cagayan de Oro City is just a jeepney ride away (or if you want to take a cab, prepare roughly P80.00) as well as LimKetKai Mall.

Every room in Casa Crystalla has cable TV. What I just don’t like sometimes is the buggy cable receiver and remote control. Sometimes I need to get up to adjust the volume or to change channels.

The bed sheets are clean and I think the management just recently changed the comforters and pillow cases.

There’s also a large closet for your clothes, some hangers and a space for your bags. No in-house slippers are offered so you need to bring your own pair. Oh yeah, before I forget, one of the things I like is the fact that there’s a seat the foot of the bed. Not exactly a seat SEAT but at least a space where you can place your bag while you sort through your things or where you can sit on while putting on your shoes. It’s nothing big, I know, but for a frequent traveler like myself, I find it nice that a small lodging place in Cagayan de Oro City took the time out to put something like that. I often only find seats like that at the foot of the bed in larger hotels.

Guests are provided with towels and soap. If you forgot to bring shampoo and other toiletries, you can buy some from the front desk. The bathrooms are clean - the bathtub is clean and there’s hot and cold shower.

By the way, just in case your room has a couple of coffee, sugar and cream packs near the vanity table, do note that those aren’t for free. I think we ended up paying P15.00 for every serving - still affordable, IMHO. And yes, the room we usually get has an electric water heater. So just in case you want to drink coffee early in the morning, you can just do so right in your own room.

So there you go - if you’re looking for a budget hotel or budget inn in Cagayan de Oro City, why not try staying in Casa Crystalla? I’m sure you’ll like the place as much as I do!

Are you an owner of a hotel or inn? Do you own a restaurant or any type of business? Do you provide a certain kind of service? Whether your establishment is in Mindanao or in Visayas or Luzon, Mindanaoan can write an honest review about your place or service. Let the people here in Mindanao, Philippines read all about it! Mindanaoan can even write a review about your establishment for FREE! Check this page out or contact me. Should the contact form fail, you may send an email to mindanaoan (at) gmail (dot) com

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