Megaworld attracts big retiree market

8 Newtown Blvd in Cebu December 22, 2011, 1:02am MANILA, Philippines — After successfully opening the market for residential condominiums to mid-income families and launching the business process outsourcing (BPO) office space segment in the industry, Megaworld Corporation blazes on another new trail, as it has started to capture a chunk of the huge market for retirees. With the soft launch of its 8 Newtown Blvd development in its 16-hectare The Mactan Newtown project in Cebu, “Megaworld hopes to attract foreign retirees and Filipinos who have spent decades working abroad to consider staying in the Philippines for their golden years. With the sensible design of our units and amenities that carefully take into consideration the needs of retirees, the company has come up with the benchmark for retirement communities in the country, after which all future developments will be compared,” said VP for marketing and project head Clifford Legaspi. Modern and minimalist are what best describe the architectural aesthetic of the project and its overall feel. The four 15-story buildings sport clean lines and a white façade. The four-floor podium level will host commercial spaces on the ground floor and BPO offices, while residential units will start on the fifth floor to the 15th level. Retirees can choose between executive studio units at approximately 40 sqm and one-bedroom units at about 50 sqm. All units come with balconies so that residents can enjoy the fresh sea breeze. Units can also be combined to two or three bedrooms for bigger living spaces. All units will be delivered pre-furnished with premium items such as LCD TV, split-type air conditioning, dining set and bed frame with mattress “to make it extremely convenient for our foreign and Filipino retirees to move in and feel at home in the Philippines,” according to Legaspi. Once they move in, residents will enjoy spending quality time at the fifth-level play deck. Watch the sun rise while swimming at the horizon-edge pool. Have a hot bath at the onsen room. Exercise their green thumbs at the Japanese garden. Meditate at the rock garden. Share stories at the tea room and do their flower arrangements at the ikebana room. And since this is a top retirement community, 8 Newtown Blvd will also host a Wellness Center that will address the residents’ medical and health requirements. The location of the project in The Mactan Newtown gives residents easy access to the beach, as the development is just beside Shangri-La Mactan and adjacent to Portofino Beach Resort. The Mactan International Airport is also just 10 minutes away, where they can catch flights to Hong Kong, Macau, Osaka or even Dubai. Other landmarks that are nearby, on the main Cebu island, that may be of interest to retirees are commercial establishments at Ayala Center and golf courses including Cebu Country Club and Alta Vista. “The new project offers everything that a retiree considers in a future home,” according to Legaspi. He also announced that Megaworld recently inked a partnership with the Philippine Retirement Authority to facilitate Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SSRV) applications of qualified foreign clients through their investment at 8 Newtown Blvd. And when in Cebu City, Philippines please do visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs .

RLC to build its biggest mall outside of Metro Manila

(The Philippine Star) Updated July 27, 2012 12:00 AM | Zoom Manila, Philippines -  Robinsons Land Corporation is breaking ground this July 26 on the site of what will be its 38th and biggest mall outside of Metro Manila in the North Reclamation area of Cebu City, where the Gokongwei business empire first took root and flourished. Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) is ramping up investments in Cebu, which is experiencing robust economic growth, a vibrant retail industry and a booming tourism sector”, said RLC president Frederick D. Go. Robinsons Galleria Cebu will be a mixed-use development which will include the first Cebu branch of gohotel.ph as well as office spaces for business process outsourcing firms. The seven story commercial building will rise on a 4.6 hectare lot along General Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City and will have a gross floor area of about 156,000 square meters (sqm). The hotel will have 153 rooms, the BPO offices will occupy three floors with over 9,000 sqm of leasable space, while the mall will have a gross leasable area of 56,000 sqm spread on four levels. Robinsons   Galleria Cebu’s anchor tenants will include Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, True Value, Robinsons Appliances, Saizen, and Toys R’ Us. It will also have six cinemas, including two 3D theaters, with a total seating capacity of 1,800. The mall will have about 300 tenants offering a mix of international brands and popular local brands. Tenants will also include homegrown Cebuano retail shops, restaurants, amusement centers and new entertainment attractions. Robinsons Galleria Cebu is seen to attract shoppers and tourists from nearby   government   offices,   consulates,   churches, hotels, shipping terminals, schools including the University of San Carlos and University of Visayas, and popular tourist destinations such as Magellan’ Cross and three museums. The mall is slated for completion and opening in 2014. It will come after RLC opens five Robinsons Place malls in Butuan, Roxas City, Malolos, Malabon and Santiago, Isabela. Go said the masterplan for the Gen. Maxilom property also includes the construction of high-rise residential condominiums which will benefit from the proximity of the mall and BPO offices. Robinsons Land also owns and operates various properties in Cebu which cuts across RLC’s various business units. Robinsons Galleria-Cebu will be RLC’s third mall in Cebu after Robinsons Fuente, and Robinsons Cybergate Cebu, which is a mixed use mall and office development also in the Fuente Osmeña area.  Robinsons Land currently operates the newly renovated and improved Summit Circle Hotel in Fuente Osmeña Circle. The Group will soon have three hotels in Cebu, including the Summit Shores Resort hotel which will be part of the upscale Amisa residential development on Mactan Island. The firm is also building the Azalea Residences, a residential development in Gorordo Avenue. Other RLC residential properties are Blue Coast and Aspen Heights which are under the Robinsons Communities and Robinsons Homes brands, respectively.

Megaworld aims to finish Mactan project in 5 years

By Ehda M. Dagooc

CEBU, Philippines - The country’s largest township developer, Megaworld Inc., targets to complete its P10 billion project in Mactan Island called “The Mactan Newtown” in the next five years.

The development, which is likened to Manila’s Eastwood City in Libis, is a 16-hectare development that will host several residential, commercial, retail, wellness, hotel, food, entertainment and leisure facilities, and is expected to be the next destination to watch for in Cebu, said Megaworld Corporation first vice president for sales and marketing Noli D. Hernandez in a press conference held recently at the Radisson Blu Hotel.

Its first cluster of towers, which are currently under construction are already sold out to young Japanese retirees. It has a total of 716 condominium units.

 Meanwhile, the company is set to construct its second cluster called “The Newtown Boulevard” which consists of four towers, the two towers are already contracted by another group of Japanese buyers, while the other tower will be offered to the local market. One tower of the second cluster will be built for the growing demand from the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) tenants.

Hernandez said in the next five years, the Mactan Newtown will be able to help in improving the local economy by building enough space to be able to accommodate 25,000 office and BPO seats. This is estimated to generate around 40,000 jobs.

Megaworld Corporation bought the 17-hectare property in Mactan in 1997. The company started to develop the property only recently, as the company sees the right timing while demand is considerably improving.

In November, the Lapu-Lapu City Government signed a memorandum of agreement with Megaworld Corp. for the joint venture project.

The firm is also getting accreditation from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) to have the project declared an economic zone.

The One World Center, a five-level office building designed to serve the needs of top firms in the BPO and IT industries.

Some potential locators include Quantum Leap, Accenture, Hewlett Packard, Dell and IBM.

Megaworld Corp. is the developer of the 18-hectare Eastwood City, the firm’s pioneering “live-work-play township.”

The company is also forging a partnership with the Cebu Doctors Group, to establish a Wellness Center or Therapeutic Center to complete its “live, work and play” concept of the township development.
If Cebu has destinations like downtown, uptown districts, in the next few years, Cebu will have a third district destination—“The Mactan Newtown.”

This new development is adjacent to Shangri-La Mactan and Portofino along the Hilutungan Channel near Magellan Bay, making the beach resort lifestyle even more accessible.

This year, the company allocates P25 billion capital expenditure (capex) to complete the ongoing projects as well as develop new ones.

Megaworld is currently developing over 40 residential and BPO office projects in Metro Manila alone.
Last year, Megaworld posted a net income of P8.15 billion up 60 percent from a year earlier on strong real estate sales, higher income leasing incThailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Founded in 1908, it currently has 16 production facilities and 43 sales companies operating in 44 countries in different regions. —(FREEMAN)

CV is second fastest growing region in Phl

By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento (The Freeman)  CEBU, Philippines - Central Visayas ranked second to Caraga Administrative Region as both had been included in the top five list of fastest growing regions in the Philippines for year 2011 based on the recent statistical data of the National Statistical Coordination Board. In a press statement posted on the agency’s website last July 26, Region 7 posted a 7.9% growth among the country’s seventeen regions following Caraga’s economy that recorded the fastest growth at 9.6 percent last year. “This is a very good development for Central Visayas. Our Gross Regional Domestic Product level has reached P620 billion at current prices, the fourth biggest after National Capital Region, CALABARZON and Central Luzon,” National Economic Development Authority Assistant Regional Director Efren Carreon told The Freeman. Aside from Region XIII and Region VII, other areas which were included in the 2011 list of top five fastest growing were Central Luzon with 7.5%, Western Visayas with 5.5% and Cagayan Valley with 5.4%. The economy of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), however, declined by 1% in 2011 from a 2.3% growth in 2010. On the other hand, the national statistical agency cited that the economies of the three island groups reported slower growths last year from their strong performances in 2010. “Luzon’s economy (excluding NCR) slowed down to 3.9% in 2011 from a robust performance of 8.9% in 2010; Visayas decelerated to 5.9% from 7.3% and Mindanao’s economy turned in a lackluster performance of 3.2% from 4.7%,” NSCB stated. With the same share compared to the previous year, Luzon island with seven regions excluding NCR contributed 37.5% of the country’s total domestic output that is considered to be the largest among the island groups. Mindanao island which is comprised of six regions accounted for 14.1% of the country’s economy and Visayas island group, composed of three regions, posted a share of 12.8% in 2011 which is 0.3 percentage point higher than its 12.5% share in 2010. In terms of the 3.9% national GDP growth in 2011, NCR also contributed at 1.3 percentage points considered as the largest, Central Luzon with 0.7 percentage point and Central Visayas and CALABARZON which contributed 0.5 percentage point each. NSCB was created under Executive Order No. 121 issued on January 30, 1987 as the policy-making and coordinating agency on statistical matters in the Philippines. It further aims to develop an orderly Philippine Statistical System capable of providing time, accurate, relevant, and useful data for the government and the public for planning and decision-making. When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P12,000.00/month with its own parking lot. Hurry while the supply of units last.  Just call the Tel. Nos. shown below. Tel. Nos. (032)555-8464/09164422611/09173378637

Robinsons Galleria breaks ground in Cebu

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 08:58 AM PDT By Ehda Dagooc (The Freeman) Updated July 27, 2012 12:00 AM   CEBU, Philippines - Gokongwei-led conglomerate JG Summit Group's real estate arm Robinsons Land Corporation officially started its P5 billion integrated development at the 4.6-hectare property at the north reclamation area. The company held its ceremonial ground breaking event yesterday attended by RLB president Frederick Go and other company officials. "RLC is ramping up investments in Cebu, which is experiencing robust economic growth, a vibrant retail industry and a booming tourism sector" Go said. The seven-story commercial building is slated to be finished by 2014. The building, of which four-story will be occupied by the shopping mall operation will have a gross floor area of about 156,000 square-meters. Robinsons Galleria Cebu will be a mixed-used development which will include the first Cebu branch of Gohotel.ph, as well as office spaces for business process outsourcing firms. The hotel will have 153 rooms, the BPO offices will occupy three floors with over 9,000 square meters of leasable space, which the mall will have a gross leasable area of 5,000 square meters spread on four levels. Robinsons Galleria Cebu's anchor tenants will include Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, True Value, Robinsons Appliances, Suizen, and Toys R' Us. It will also have six cinemas, including two 3D theaters, with a total capacity of 8,800. The mall will have about 300 tenants offering international brands and popular local brands. Tenants will also include homegrown Cebuano retail shops, restaurants, amusement centers and new entertainment attractions. The Robinsons Galleria Cebu opening on 2014  will come after RLC opens five Robinsons Place malls in Butuan, Roxas City, Malabon and Santiago, Isabela. Go said the master plan for the General Maxilom property also includes the construction of high rise residential condominium units which will be benefit from the proximity of the mall and BPO offices. Robinsons Galleria Cebu will be RLC's third mall in Cebu, which is mixed use mall and office development in the Fuente Osmeña area.  (FREEMAN)

Rivalry in Cebu property market heats up

Thursday, 26 July 2012 19:41 Miguel R. Camus / Reporter    THE Gokongwei family’s property arm is turning its attention back to Cebu City, where the clan’s business empire traces its roots, amid tougher competition from rival business families like Henry Sy’s SM Group, which is also aggressively expanding in that city. Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) said it started work on Robinsons Galleria Cebu, a seven-story mixed-use building in the North Reclamation area, which it claims is its largest commercial development outside Metro Manila. Analysts said the move underscores Cebu’s growing importance as a tourism and outsourcing destination—a fact not lost on the country’s top builders seeking to take a bigger slice of the province’s booming growth.  The island has recently diversified its economy to become a business process outsourcing (BPO) hub “second only to Metro Manila”with tax incentives and advanced telecommunications facilities helping to lure investments, said Claro Cordero Jr., head of research and valuation for Jones Lang LaSalle Leechiu, a property consultancy and brokerage firm.   “This phenomenon has helped improve the general purchasing power of [Cebu’s ] local economy,” Cordero said in an emailed response on Thursday. “The general outlook is that the O&O [off-shoring and outsourcing ] companies are still likely to operate and expand in Cebu in the medium- to long-term.”  Robinsons Galleria Cebu will include a 56,000 square meter (sqm) shopping mall, a 153-room gohotel.ph budget hotel, and business process outsourcing offices.  Slated for completion by 2014, it will have a gross floor area (GFA) of 156,000 sqm, but the master plan for the 4.6-hectare lot also includes residential condominiums, RLC president Frederick Go said in the statement. The new project comes as RLC’s  closest competitors are building even larger shopping facilities. Sy-led SM Prime Holdings Inc. opened last month its second shopping mall in Cebu, called SM City Consolacion, with a GFA of  106,857 sqm.  In 2014, its opens SM Seaside City Cebu, its biggest shopping center there, with a GFA of 241,600 sqm. SM Prime is also reportedly in talks to acquire a fourth site in Cebu. Apart from the Sys, Gotianun-led Filinvest Land Inc., which is already developing residential condominiums in Cebu, said it will build a business process outsourcing complex in the reclaimed South Road Properties area.  Ayala Land Inc. also operates a shopping center in Cebu apart from residential projects.  Cordero said the growing trend of property developers expanding in Cebu is unlikely to see a reversal anytime soon. “Coming from a low base in terms of high-rise residential projects of highly dense projects, the highly improving purchasing power of the consumers is seen to sustain these developments and saturation of the market is still far from the horizon,” Cordero said.  The integrated approach of these builders, he said, attracts both end-users and investors, but not without opening up its own set of risks. “This type of demand [buying for investment purposes] is highly-susceptible to market externalities such as the weak global economic recovery,” he said. When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate needs.

How Charlemagne Discovered the Relics of Saint Anne the Mother of Mary

Posted by Dr. Taylor Marshall 

Saint Anne holding her daughter the Virgin Mary

I love Saint Anne (she is my wife's patron) and I love Charlemagne (our dog is named Charlemagne). So the following story is especially dear to me. It's also one of the best relics story of all time.

On Easter AD 792, Charlemagne discovered the relics of Saint Anne with the help of a deaf handicapped boy. It's a wonderful tale for this feast day of Saint Anne.

Below is the account, preserved in the correspondence of Pope Saint Leo III, concerning the discovery of the relics of Saint Anne in the presence of the Emperor Charlemagne.

Fourteen years after Our Lord’s death, Saint Mary Magdalen, Saint Martha, Saint Lazarus, and the others of the little band of Christians who were piled into a boat without sails or oars and pushed out to sea to perish — in the persecution of the Christians by the Jews of Jerusalem — were careful to carry with them the tenderly loved body of Our Lady’s mother. They feared lest it be profaned in the destruction, which Jesus had told them was to come upon Jerusalem. When, by the power of God, their boat sur vived and finally drifted to the shores of France, the little company of saints buried Saint Anne’s body in a cave, in a place called Apt, in the south of France. The church, which was later built over the spot, fell into decay because of wars and religious persecutions, and as the centuries passed, the place of Saint Anne’s tomb was forgotten.

The long years of peace, which Charlemagne’s wise rule gave to southern France, enabled the people to build a magnificent new church on the site of the old chapel at Apt. Extraordinary and painstaking labor went into the building of the great structure, and when the day of its consecration arrived [Easter Sunday, 792 A.D.], the beloved Charlemagne, little suspecting what was in store for him, declared himself happy indeed to have jour neyed so many miles to be present for the holy occasion. At the most solemn part of the ceremonies, a boy of fourteen, blind, deaf and dumb from birth — and usually quiet and impassive — to the amaze ment of those who knew him, completely distracted the at tention of the entire congrega tion by becoming suddenly tremendously excited. He rose from his seat, walked up the aisle to the altar steps, and to the consternation of the whole church, struck his stick re soundingly again and again upon a single step.

His embarrassed family tried to lead him out, but he would not budge. He contin ued frantically to pound the step, straining with his poor muted senses to impart a knowledge sealed hopelessly within him. The eyes of the people turned upon the em peror, and he, apparently in spired by God, took the matter into his own hands. He called for workmen to remove the steps.

A subterranean passage was revealed directly below the spot, which the boy’s stick had indicated. Into this pas sage the blind lad jumped, to be followed by the emperor, the priests, and the workmen.

They made their way in the dim light of candles, and when, farther along the pas sage, they came upon a wall that blocked further ad vance, the boy signed that this also should be removed. When the wall fell, there was brought to view still another long, dark corridor. At the end of this, the searchers found a crypt, upon which, to their profound wonderment, a vigil lamp, alight and burning in a little walled recess, cast a heavenly radiance.

As Charlemagne and his afflicted small guide, with their companions, stood be fore the lamp, its light went out. And at the same moment, the boy, blind and deaf and dumb from birth, felt sight and hearing and speech flood into his young eyes, his ears, and his tongue.

“It is she! It is she!” he cried out. The great emperor, not knowing what he meant, nevertheless repeated the words after him. The call was taken up by the crowds in the church above, as the people sank to their knees, bowed in the realization of the presence of something celestial and holy.

The crypt at last was opened, and a casket was found within it. In the casket was a winding sheet, and in the sheet were relics, and upon the relics was an inscrip tion that read, “Here lies the body of Saint Anne, mother of the glorious Virgin Mary.” The winding sheet, it was noted, was of eastern design and texture.

Charlemagne, over whelmed, venerated with pro found gratitude the relics of the mother of Heaven’s Queen. He remained a long time in prayer. The priests and the people, awed by the graces given them in such abundance and by the choice of their countryside for such a heavenly manifestation, for three days spoke but rarely, and then in whispers.

The emperor had an exact and detailed account of the miraculous finding drawn up by a notary and sent to Pope Saint Leo III, with an accom panying letter from himself. These documents and the pope’s reply are preserved to this day. Many papal bulls have attested, over and over again, to the genuineness of Saint Anne’s relics at Apt.

Why Does God Allow Misfortune to Fall on Us?

Saint Claude de la Colombiere 

Once when St Teresa of Avila was traveling, her cart tipped, spilling her into a muddy stream. Soaked and irritated, Teresa looked to heaven and cried, "God, if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them!"

How often we feel this way? We try to serve God and difficulties arise.

• You're a Catholic mother pregnant with your fifth child and you suffer for months with morning sickness. "I'm trying to serve you God! Can't you give me some slack?"
• You're driving to daily Mass and you get in a wreck. 
• You wait in line for confession for 30 minutes and then the priest announces that confessions are over. The priest must go.
• You're little children are finally being good at Mass when an old lady criticizes one of them for letting her jacket fall on the floor.
• You're late for Mass and you cannot find your keys.
• You try to pray at Holy Mass, but your three year old is being disruptive so it's off to the "room of tears."

Perhaps it's more mundane:

• You're trying to fix something for a friend and your tool breaks before you finish.
• Your computer crashes before you save a critical document.
• Your air conditioning unit breaks in August. 
• You cannot sleep on account of poison ivy.
• You're trying to respond to email and you lose your internet connection.
• You're prepare a wonderful meal only to find that your guest is diabetic or allergic to what you made.

These are the frustrations of our life. What is the meaning of these tiny troubles. Saint Claude de la Colombiere sums it up nicely:

Our whole lives are made up of incidents of this kind, occurring ceaselessly from one minute to another and producing a hose of involuntary feelings of dislike and aversion, envy, fear, and impatience to trouble the serenity of our minds. We let an incautious word slip out and wish we had not said it; someone says something we find offensive; we have to wait a long time to be served when we are in a hurry; we are irritated by a child's boisterousness; a boring acquaintance buttonholes us in a the street, a car splashes us with mud; the weather spoils our outing; our work is not going as well as we could wish; a tool breaks at a critical moment; we get our clothes torn or stained--these are not occasions for practicing heroic virtue but they can be means of acquiring it if we wish.

Saint Claude continues:

If we were careful to offer all these petty annoyances to God and accept them as being ordered by His providence we would soon be in a position to support the greatest misfortunes that can happen to us, besides at the same time insensibly drawing close to intimate union with God.

God is sovereign and He orchestrates these annoyances so that we might grow in virtue on earth and glory in Heaven. This is a hard teaching. It's much easier to blog about than it is to pray about when one is in the midst of frustration, sickness, or pain.

Saint Paul said it best when he compared the discipline of God the Father to the discipline of earthly fathers:

And you have forgotten the consolation which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord: neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him. For whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth: and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons. For what son is there whom the father doth not correct? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards and not sons. Moreover, we have had fathers of our flesh for instructors, and we reverenced them. Shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits and live? (Hebrews 12:5–9, D-R)

Since we know that God loves us more than we love ourselves, we should trust His will. When hardships come, Saint Claude instructs us not to fall into self-pity, but to fall "at the feet of the Saviour and implore His grace to bear your trial with fortitude and patience. A man who has been badly wounded does not, if he is wise chase after his assailant, but makes straight for a doctor who may save his life."

When in Indonesia: 10 Reasons To Visit Indonesia

When in Indonesia: 10 Reasons To Visit Indonesia

Written By
Ruth dela Cruz

•    

When in Indonesia, there is a lot more reasons to enjoy its sights and sounds – and that is, not just by tuning in to Eat Bulaga! Indonesia.  There are a lot of things to do that a 3 days, 2 nights vacation might not be enough. First, you need to decide if you want to explore Bali, Jakarta or the other little islands of this exotic country. One thing is for sure, you will need your usual dabarkads (friends) and travel buddies to explore Indonesia’s more than 18,000 islands.  Or maybe, not. I went there alone and got back to Manila with more friends in my Facebook account. 

 Borobudur Temple in Java, Indonesia

I got the chance to live for a month in the country which so much reminds me of the Philippines – from the people, the music (yes, I heard Christian Bautista’s songs being played in the radio!), to the usual traffic and demonstrations. I was a bit hesitant to accept the offer and travel more than 5 hours to live in the country. I was expecting I would be sent to Kenya, South Africa or Russia for a volunteer assignment. But Indonesia didn’t just offered me a once in a lifetime experience and good memories, but more importantly, friendship.

Here are my 10 reasons why I love Indonesia (and why I am still dreaming of going back to the country).

1. Good Food

If you love good food with that spice tickling your palette with every bite, you will love Indonesian cuisine. The dishes are mostly cooked with chili; or if not, served with chili sauce or minced Bird’s Eye Chili. The table is usually set with dips and sauces – but be careful when getting a serving, they might be too spicy and hot for Filipino tastebuds.

Just like the Philippines, Indonesia is an archipelago, which doesn’t just mean beaches but also seafood! Expect seafood and fish in the dining table and restaurant menus. If you love vegetables, there are also variety of choices. Gado-gado is a vegetables dish with peanut sauce and shrimp crackers. It is one dish that I truly miss that made me forget about our very own Kare-kare.

Grilled meat and fish are also favorites which are best eaten with hands (yes, they do it too!) Just don’t forget to request for soy sauce and bottle of Bintang (local beer).

A dining etiquette, left hand is considered a “dirty hand”, so always pass the food using your right hand.

2. Dark Roasted Coffee

If you love dark roasted coffee with high acidity and rich aroma, Indonesia will be your Mecca. Indonesia is known as one of the leading exporters of coffee. The finest brews and grinds can be found, not just in coffee shops, but in local markets. In the South Sulawesi region, I discovered a good coffee from the locals who brew their coffee traditionally. Not with complex coffeemaker, but with just a pot and stove.

The Toraja Coffee is one of the best coffee I tasted. The aroma itself is enough to keep me awake and enjoy the cup of fresh brew. It is good even without the usual vanilla, or caramel syrup.

3. A Certified Millionaire

I don’t need to wait for my retirement age, or hope to win in the lottery to be a millionaire. All I have to do is to book a flight to Indonesia, and exchange some dollars, and call myself a millionaire!

Php4,410 is all you need to get IDR1,000,000. Only in Indonesia, you will experience paying for thousands or hundred thousands, for a single meal. Even my friends from Austria, Brazil, Mexico, India and United States were happy to be millionaires (like me) in this exotic country.

Just a tip, Indonesia Rupiah cannot be exchanged and used in Manila. So make sure to exchange them all or use them for shopping before boarding the plane.

4. A Visit to the Tana Toraja

It is ironic that Tana Toraja is listed in the book, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (by Patricia Schultz) and this exotic land of Toraja is famous for its unusual and elaborate funeral feasts. Tana Toraja is also famous for its houses with boat-shaped roofs.

But before you go and close this window, let me tell you, I am not posting any pictures here or share any details of the month-long funeral ceremony. Let me just share with you some pictures and a shout-out – Yes! That’s another place down to the 1,000 places to see before I die!

Traditional graves in Tana Toraja

A white buffalo is offered during the funeral ceremony

5. Beautiful Mosques

Indonesia is a Muslim country with around 88% of its total population composed of Muslim. Aside from the beautiful buildings and interesting architectures, you will find beautiful Mosques all over the country which not also serve as places of worship, but also tourist attraction.

6. Wonderful and Warm People

I am not surprised with this fact. Filipinos and some ethnic groups of Indonesia came from the same race, and we probably share the same values, like hospitality. 

From the Indonesian guy who I seated next with in the plane, to the hotel staff and the village people we met, everyone was so warm and friendly. They greeted us with their sweetest smile, and even adopting the greetings that we were used to – from handshakes to kisses on the cheeks – they are that flexible and warm. It was even more awesome when most of the people we met could gamely do monster shots/wacky poses (see below).

The hospital employees (client site) did a monster pose

We had a lot of good samaritan encounters in the country – like, when one time my friend left her expensive sunglasses in the village. After an hour, we went back and found an old woman who kept it and prayed that we would come back for it. Another time, when my friend left her bag in the village after she came from a traditional wedding; one village woman ran after their car service holding her bag and calling out her name. Then, during a very long road trip, my friend had to use the toilet and just asked one humble home along the road if she could use the washroom. They welcomed her without hesitation.

This article wouldn’t come to an end if I would list all the good things we experienced. For now, here are some fun pictures to share with the fun and friendly locals we met.

Students, divers and advocates of Coral Reef Check

These boys are bugging me about Julie Ann and Elmo Magalona

They are bunch of fun kids!

I and my friend Cheryl (USA) with our Muslim sisters (and little brothers)

The ladies do watch Pangako Sayo Series and fell inlove with Kristine Hermosa and Jericho Rosales loveteam!

They are soo cute!

7. Bahasa Indonesia Language

It is always interesting to know and be able to speak a different language. But what is more interesting is to know phrases/words from different language with the same meaning as your native language.  Below are some of the Tagalog/Filipino words with the same meaning in Bahasa Indonesia.

puti = white

kanan = right direction

mahal = expensive

takot = afraid

guro/guru = teacher

So even if English is not commonly used in Indonesia, there is no reason to be afraid at interacting with the locals.  Or, you can always consult the ever reliable Google Translator. Here are some of the phrases I commonly used:

Selamat Pagi = Good Morning

Selamat Malam = Good Evening

Terima Kasih = Thank you!

8. Shopping

Indonesia may not be the first place you can think of when you say “shopping”, but the country also hosts designer brands and local favorites like Forever 21, Payless, and The Little Things She Needs. I know, I am talking a girl’s language.

Grand Mall beside Hotel Kempinski, Jakarta

But the great fashion finds of Indonesia are the Malong (sold at local market for only Php100), scarves (there are alot of them!), and Batik which make a good souvenir.

A Batik Dress for Women

9. Relaxing Spa Salons

With non-stop activities to do, things to discover, and places to see in Indonesia, you need relaxing massage to keep you ready for the next day’s trip. Indonesia is the perfect place to get  relaxing massages – elaborate spa salons, with aromatic essences, the sight of rose petals, and a serving of your favorite tea drink is just perfect – as you close your eyes and think of the calm sea and imagine birds chirping.

A suggested place is Celi Emas in Bali.

In Bali, you might also consider visiting Robin Lim (a CNN Hero Awardee) and her health clinic. Too bad, we were not able to meet her and visit her nurturing nest. 

10. Endless List of Things to Do

One month was not enough for me to do all the wonderful things that Indonesia was offering me. Just to give you an idea of what else you can do:

Go clubbing and dance (or even sing with the live band).

Yes, we did it!

Karaoke Night!!

We, Filipinos love Karaoke/Videokes (and I am the only exception but I had fun!).

Be a kid once again in Trans Studio - 
an indoor theme park in Makassar, Indonesia.

Ride a boat, dive and enjoy the rich marine life in this side of Asia.

A must-visit place is the Bira Beach.

Enjoy the nature and sunset from a different side of the globe.

Or just pose with your friends, and rock on!

When in Indonesia, there are more than 10 reasons to fall inlove with its beauty, no matter how similar it looks like with our beloved Philippines.   

 Thank you to my friends, Cheryl Patchin, Jessica, Tom (USA), Vivek, Nitu, Arun (India), Javier (Mexico), Marcelo (Brazil) and Sabine (Austria) for sharing their pictures for this article; and to the wonderful people of Indonesia for the amazing experience!

When in Cebu City, Philippines please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate needs.