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Check this out: Bukidnon countryside diner El Paso Lantapan

Check this out: Bukidnon countryside diner El Paso Lantapan

Bukidnon, Features, Food, Leisure, LifeStyle, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Tourism, Travel
I may be an avid beach lover but sometimes, there's just something about the countryside that we all can't help but love. Laidback. Lovely gentle breeze. Beautiful trees. Glorious landscape. Clean air. Take the case of the Municipality of Lantapan in Bukidnon. Roughly a 3-hour drive from Cagayan de Oro, it's fast becoming home to many quaint cafes and diners like Cafe Sa Bukid, Chukoohills and now, El Paso. Located at Songco, Lantapan, El Paso is a rustic restaurant that also has a spacious al fresco area. And by al fresco I do mean tables and chairs/benches (and tents when it's a rainy day) surrounded by lots of tall falcata trees. There's also an event stage and a bonfire area. It's a great place to hang out with family and friends. I made a quick TikTok video of our most rec...
Overseas Filipinos can now use PayMaya to pay government, utility bills back home

Overseas Filipinos can now use PayMaya to pay government, utility bills back home

America, Consumer, Corporate, Features, Freebies, Government, LifeStyle, News, Shopping, Society, Technology
Now this is something that's near and dear to my heart especially since I was an overseas Filipino worker myself. Sending money back home was one of my regular tasks and I've always wondered if there was an easy way for me to send money without the need for an international bank account or the need to pay steep rates. Wouldn't it be extra convenient if an OFW can use his or her phone and a local digital platform to send money? Now, it's easier for OFWs or Filipinos abroad to pay for government fees and for their family's utility bills back home with the help of PayMaya! PayMaya opened this service for Filipinos overseas so they can now use their Philippine mobile SIM on roaming to register for a PayMaya account, allowing them to perform transactions such as paying government dues or...
My GMA 7 TV interview experience

My GMA 7 TV interview experience

Advocacy, Bisaya, Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Personal, Personalities, Society, Television
It was an invitation for a TV interview I simply couldn't resist. Just recently, I was interviewed for a segment of "At Home with GMA Regional TV," a morning TV show aired all over Mindanao, Philippines! I shared a bit about my blogging journey, how and why I started, the places I've been to around the world (I've visited Japan, the two Koreas, Taiwan, Singapore, Hongkong, Malaysia, the United States of America and more), some tips on how to become a responsible social media user and tips for folks who want to start their own blogs/vlogs/podcast etc. I also shared a bit of good news - I landed on the 4th spot on the Top 60 New York Lifestyle Blogs, Influencers and Websites 2021! The interview was aired on: GMA TV 5 Davao, GMA TV 35 Cagayan de Oro, GMA TV 8 General Santos Cit...
ATV buggy ride at Dahilayan Forest Park

ATV buggy ride at Dahilayan Forest Park

Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Leisure, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Tourism, Travel
Dahilayan Forest Park, the property beside Dahilayan Adventure Park (where the popular Zipzone is a.k.a. Asia's longest dual cable zipline) and where I also experienced the 8-storey platform base jump, offers ATV rides or buggy rides. Have you been on one? I absolutely enjoy riding ATVs! I also have a little confession to make - I'm a bit of a speed junkie so I like driving ATVs pretty fast! Although my most recent buggy adventure was a chill one since I was with my cousins and it was their first time driving ATVs. Here's a video I made during our Dahilayan ATV adventure. Check out the trail here: https://youtu.be/h2uTObv2M5o Dahilayan Forest Park offers other amenities and services such as picnic grounds, ponds and lagoons, forest animals playground and rides (luge, t...
Free Covid-19 insurance, free 24/7 doctor consultation courtesy of Globe At Home

Free Covid-19 insurance, free 24/7 doctor consultation courtesy of Globe At Home

Advocacy, Business, Consumer, Features, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Technology
I bring hopeful news! As the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise in the Philippines, making sure that you have some sort of safety net in case you - knock on wood - catch the virus has become a real necessity. Here's a reality check - while some may have comprehensive insurance policies and are on the priority list of family physicians, the fact is - not everyone has the means for these. There are also reports that hospital bills may easily rack up to six or seven figures plus the difficulty of securing hospital beds. Which makes us wonder - is there something that regular Filipinos can do to sleep better at night knowing that someone’s got their back in case misfortune strikes? The good news is, there is! And it may be an unlikely solution, but Globe At Home has the answer. ...
Tesalate Beach Towels – why you must own this best sand-free towel

Tesalate Beach Towels – why you must own this best sand-free towel

Beauty, Blogging, Cagayan de Oro City, Features, LifeStyle, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Shopping, Society, Travel
I love the water. I love the beach. One of my life goals is to someday live by the beach again (my family and I used to back in the day) and just enjoy life as it comes. But while I wait for that day to come, I try to be near the water as much as possible. Of course, one of our must-haves, when we hit the beach, is to bring a beach towel. Just recently, however, I discovered one of, if not, the best beach towels - Tesalate! I was able to give my Tesalate beach towel a spin (I have the Tesalate Bohemian XL) when my relatives and I had our balsa adventure (video way down below) and I must say, you MUST own one. Let me give you a rundown: Sand-free beach days Tesalate is known for its exclusive AbsorbLite™ fabric which means no sand can ever stay put on your towel. Sand-resi...
LOOK: Seda Centrio Hotel CDO breakfast buffet

LOOK: Seda Centrio Hotel CDO breakfast buffet

Blogging, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Hotels, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Reviews, Society, Tourism, Travel
I don't know about you but when it comes to hotels, I'm pretty particular about the food they serve especially during breakfast. I mean, who wouldn't want to wake up to a delicious, glorious breakfast to help kickstart your day? Breakfasts help set the tone for the day! But because we're now living in extraordinary times and we all have to be extra cautious of safety and hygiene measures, we can't help but wonder how hotels adapt and still provide good food and service. For Seda Centrio, a downtown Cagayan de Oro Hotel that features high-quality room and recreational facilities, they're taking a very smart and efficient lead on how hotels can adapt to the new normal. During the relaunch of their breakfast buffet service at Misto, the signature restaurant of Seda Centrio, they made...
PayMaya’s over 200K touchpoints enable cashless transactions for Filipinos

PayMaya’s over 200K touchpoints enable cashless transactions for Filipinos

Business, Corporate, Features, Internet, LifeStyle, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Technology
Digital financial services leader PayMaya is leading the charge toward financial inclusion as it expands its footprint to reach over 200,000 touchpoints nationwide, the largest network in the country to date. Filipinos can easily pay, add money, cash out, or remit using their PayMaya accounts through these accessible touchpoints that include convenience stores, retail merchants, groceries, department stores, food outlets, pawnshops, and Smart Padala centers, among others.  “As PayMaya continues to lead the push towards cashless for all Filipinos, it is important for us to provide them with the most expansive and reliable on-ground channels that allow them to do safe and convenient financial transactions, no matter where they are in the country,” said Shailesh Baidwan, President of P...
These Mindanao youth groups champion bayanihan during quarantine

These Mindanao youth groups champion bayanihan during quarantine

Advocacy, Cagayan de Oro City, Campus, Cotabato, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Society, Surigao del Sur
In the midst of so many challenges this year 2020, I'm so glad that several Mindanao youth groups have taken the initiative to address gaps in social services and collaborated with local government units and NGOs to develop projects that prioritized the survival, health, and livelihood of many of our fellow Filipinos. Here is a list of Mindanaoan youth groups that showed bayanihan during the quarantine: Tabang Sikad Tabang Sikad is a fund-raising initiative for sikad drivers from several barangays in Cagayan de Oro City. The project provided relief packs to sikad drivers whose daily income decreased from Php 300 to Php 80 – Php 100 during the quarantine. Started by a duo, Nekka and Liam, the team expanded their impact to collaborate with the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associa...
Mindanao-based Hineleban Foundation urges corporations to support IP communities

Mindanao-based Hineleban Foundation urges corporations to support IP communities

Advocacy, Bukidnon, Features, Kaamulan Festival, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Muslim Mindanao, Society
Mindanao-based Hineleban Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization in Bukidnon, is urging corporations to support Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities to not only help secure food and water for them but to also help restore the last virgin forests and ample river flow requirements of all water users in the country. Hineleban’s vision is to ensure the nation’s water, food and human security by reforesting the mountain ranges of Mindanao. These ranges are inhabited by the IP communities. On their official website, Hineleban Foundation explained that by supporting IPs through food security, followed by sustainable livelihood and finally, reforestation, they also play a more active role in the protection of the remaining primary forests in the Philippines. Currently, Hinele...
Call for Entries: CineMasayud – A Halad to Health Online Mindanao Short Film Fest and Competition

Call for Entries: CineMasayud – A Halad to Health Online Mindanao Short Film Fest and Competition

Advocacy, Announcements, Broadcasting, Bukidnon, Campus, Contests, Events, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Movies, Society
A Mindanao-wide virtual Short Film Festival and Competition will take place on December 2020 and the call for entries has been cast. Halad to Health, in partnership with the Ateneo de Davao University Culture and Arts through the Ateneo Film Circle and the Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral ng Sining at Komunikasyon, will hold the virtual event dubbed "CineMasayud: A Halad to Health Online Mindanao Short Film Fest and Competition." The event is open to all youth across Mindanao to explore their creativity while using art as a safe space to promote dialogues and services responding to Youth Mental Health issues. The event also aims to provide awareness and calls for action about local health issues and other societal ills in Mindanao and influence others to do the same through filmmaking. ...
October is Ford Truck Month – look at these great deals!

October is Ford Truck Month – look at these great deals!

Features, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Society, Travel
Ford Philippines is bringing back its much-anticipated Truck Month this October, offering great deals to customers buying a Ford Ranger from any Ford dealership nationwide. From October 1-31, 2020, customers can avail of cash discounts, all-in low downpayment deals, and free ownership package worth PHP100,000 with their purchase of a Ranger Wildtrak, XLS, or Raptor. Ford Ranger Wildtrak Deals The Ranger 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 MT is available this month with a PHP90,000 cash discount while the Ranger 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 AT comes with a cash discount of PHP70,000. On the other hand, the Ranger 2.2L XLS 4x2 MT is available with a cash discount of PHP89,000, effectively bringing its starting retail price to only PHP943,000. Customers can also avail of a financing offer of PHP88,000 a...

BaiCon Infest 2020 set

Advocacy, Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Internet, LifeStyle, Media, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Technology
Creators and influencers in the Philippines are set to gather virtually via BaiCon InFest 2020. With the theme "The Space Invasion," BaiCon InFest 2020 will be a two-day (October 23-24) virtual event that will be held throughout various digital platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Zoom. During a digital press conference held last October 7, 2020, the panel talked about various initiatives like the founding of the Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines (CICP), its advocacy drive #CreatorsUnitedPH, CICP’s Spotlight Awards, BaiCon’s partnership with the Philippine Public School Teachers’ Association, and the significance of BaiCon in taking the Digital Entertainment Industry in the country to the next level. The digital presscon was hosted by Ace Gapuz of Blogapalooza and wa...
Wild week with the Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Wild week with the Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Blogging, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Society, Travel, Videos
So I just had a realization. After taking the Ford Ranger Raptor for a spin a few weeks ago, I realized that I LOVE driving pick-up trucks! The Ford Raptor, for instance, is huge but oh what a joy it is to drive! This love for pick-up vehicles was again solidified when I had a fun, wild week with the Ford Ranger Wildtrak (yasss)! Don’t you just love how versatile it looks? The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is a workhorse for sure (built for tough!) but you can also easily take it to easy breezy picnics, to the beach and to the mountains for memorable hang-outs with family and relatives at a cozy cabin (which I did!). Muscular yet feminine. Does that make sense?  I brought the Ford Ranger Wildtrak to so many places around Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon (Malaybalay City and Dahilayan...
Ayala Malls Centrio’s ‘ANA’ makes virtual shopping, pick up and delivery a breeze

Ayala Malls Centrio’s ‘ANA’ makes virtual shopping, pick up and delivery a breeze

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Society, Style, Technology
Ayala Malls Centrio, Cagayan de Oro’s complete and favorite shopping, dining and entertainment destination, has launched an innovative solution that makes virtual purchasing from stores within the mall easy, convenient and truly hassle-free. With the Ayala Malls Neighborhood Assistant or “ANA,” anybody can shop from anywhere, during mall hours, with the help of well-trained personal shoppers and at a very minimal service fee. A testament to Ayala Malls Centrio’s commitment to come up with creative and efficient solutions in order to serve their valued customers, “ANA” can help customers buy everything they need at any Ayala Malls Centrio store they prefer. From groceries to school supplies to food and drinks to hardware supplies to clothes and shoes to skin care to medicines to t...
Gabay Guro partners with PayMaya, provides these amazing features for teachers

Gabay Guro partners with PayMaya, provides these amazing features for teachers

Campus, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Technology
Great news for teachers all around the country! Teachers will soon have easier access to a financial account and learning resources in one app as Gabay Guro, the flagship advocacy program for teachers of the PLDT-Smart Foundation, partners with PayMaya for its super app for teachers. Through the Gabay Guro app, teachers can soon easily sign up for a PayMaya account which they can use for various digital financial transactions such as paying for online and in-store purchases, sending money, paying bills, buying load, and paying government fees, among others. This will complement the existing features of the app, which provides them access to research materials, community-wide articles, rewards, as well as online lessons to help improve their teaching skills in the new normal. ...
Easy city to mountain driving aboard the Ford EcoSport

Easy city to mountain driving aboard the Ford EcoSport

Bukidnon, Cafe, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanaoan Update, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Reviews, Society, Style, Travel, Videos
Don’t you just miss bonding with family and friends, going on a road trip, savoring scenic views and delicious food, and just having a great time with those close to your heart? I’m sure this is something all of us miss and look forward to doing. Fortunately, I recently had the opportunity to see some of my friends (whom I haven’t seen since the onset of the pandemic!) and bond with my relatives. That meant driving to the city, to hinterlands, to a farm and to a newly-discovered (an accidental discovery brought about by a call from a dear friend whom I also haven’t seen in a darn long time) area that had a killer view! And so, aboard the Ford EcoSport Titanium, my weekend went off to a great start. My friends and I went to this new cafe uptown and then proceeded to Indah...

The New Ford Territory SUV deserves your attention — check out its jaw-dropping features

Consumer, Features, Society, Style, Technology
Ford Philippines recently launched the all-new Ford Territory, a Ford-engineered and designed SUV which combines a sleek and stylish look, impressive performance, and smart and safe technologies that will offer a new driving experience to young professionals and starting families. Developed by Ford Motor Company and its joint venture partner Jiangling Motors Corporation, the Ford Territory brings to life the Ford DNA in its design, engineering, and capability, following Ford’s highest global quality standards.  “The Ford Territory will boost our growing SUV lineup as a new product born out of Ford’s long-standing heritage and expertise in the utility segment,” says PK Umashankar, president and managing director, Ford Philippines. “We are confident that the Ford Territory wil...
IT’S OFFICIAL! The Mindanaoan Blog now has an Android app

IT’S OFFICIAL! The Mindanaoan Blog now has an Android app

Advocacy, Announcements, Blogging, Consumer, Corporate, Entertainment, Features, Headline, Internet, LifeStyle, Media, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, News, Society, Style, Technology, Travel
I'm very excited to officially announce that this humble Mindanaoan blog finally has its own Android app! Now, it's easier for us to stay connected :) You can download the Official Mindanaoan Android App here. It's a very light app, only needs 4.52 MB of your Android phone space. Just click the link above, click on the Mindanaoan v1.0 . apk file and just please follow the next easy instructions. As soon as you finish installing the Mindanaoan app, you'll see a native headdress as the logo of the app on your phone screen :) >>> DOWNLOAD THE MINDANAOAN ANDROID APP HERE <<< Thank you so much for your support! About Mindanaoan Irene, the one behind Mindanaoan.com, is a USA-trained, USA-experienced seasoned social media specialist, publicist, multi-awar...

Head to POPS CDO for the best, sulit buffet in Cagayan de Oro

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Reviews, Society
I don't know about you but it seems like buffets in Cagayan de Oro have become a dime in a dozen. So many CDO buffets to choose from! However, when it comes to sulit, absolutely value for money eat AND drink all you can choices, POPS CDO All Filipino Eatery still tops my list. For only Php 250 (US $5) per person, you get to access a wide array of Filipino comfort food - complete from soup to rice (plain or fried...what do you prefer?) to various viands (meat, fish, vegetables etc) to dessert (fruits, kakanin, fruit salad etc) to bottomless drinks! Indulge to your heart's content! For now, two of the POPS CDO branches offer this unbeatable buffet. If you plan to bring a large group of family and friends, their Corrales Avenue branch would be the best choice. It's just be...
LOOK: Matigsalug – Manobo tribes get new tribal hall in Kitaotao

LOOK: Matigsalug – Manobo tribes get new tribal hall in Kitaotao

Advocacy, Bukidnon, Culture, Government, Mindanao, Society
Two of Mindanao's tribes now have a new tribal hall complete with sleeping quarters. The Matigsalug - Manobo tribes in Kitaotao, Bukidnon recently received a new tribal hall with sleeping quarters. The new tribal hall, located at Brgy. Sagundanon, Kitaotao, Bukidnon, was inaugurated on July 24, 2020. The Matigsalug - Manobo tribal hall was funded under the Department of Social Welfare and Development Kalahi-CIDSS and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process under its PAyapa and MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) framework. PAMANA is the government's peace and development framework that aims to strengthen peacebuilding, reconstruction, and development in conflict-affected areas. DSWD says that PAMANA has reportedly expanded to include the funding of projects for IPs ...
Conquering Mangima Road with Ford Ranger Raptor

Conquering Mangima Road with Ford Ranger Raptor

Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Leisure, LifeStyle, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Personal, Reviews, Society, Travel
In a previous blog post, I mentioned that I am in the market for a new vehicle and currently weighing options. Aside from budget, comfort level and features, I thought I also needed a vehicle that could fit my busy and adventure-filled lifestyle but can also be formal and practical, preferably one that didn’t really require further modifications.  See, I may be a girl but more often than not, I’m not that girly-girl, if you know what I mean. I have my happy-in-a-dress days but I have more makeup-free, slippers-only, super comfortable clothes on days. So, to me, that’s a challenge. Is there a vehicle out there for someone who loves to travel and conquer many adventures but who also loves to take the family, friends and loved ones for fun escapades, lead community projects, volu...
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