June 14, 2011 | Prepys' Homepage

Resort ni Pacquiao sa Boracay, grabe ang abuso sa kalikasan

June 14, 2011June 14, 2011 Ellen Leave a comment

Thanks to Blogwatch for this photo.

Noong administrasyun ni Gloria Arroyo, sobra ang lakas ng West Cove na kahit garapalan nang lumalabag ng batas at regulasyun sa Boracay, pinapayagan.

Sana totohanin ng munisipalidad ng Malay sa pamumuno ng mayor na si John Yap na ipasara ang West Cove. Dapat lang. Dapat nga gibain na yun dahil unang-una, bawal tayuan ng istruktura ang corals na iyon ang kinatatayuan ng resort.

Hindi pa nakuntento sa pagtayo sa bawal, nagpa-extend pa ng parang helipad at mga cabana sa dagat.

Grabeng pambabastos at paglabag ng batas ang ginawa ng West Cove sa Boracay.

Nagawa ng West Cover yun dahil ang numero unong tagapagtanggol ng resort noon ay mismo ang Environment Secretary na si Lito Atienza. Ang despalinghado na sagot ni Atienza noon ay, bakit daw West Cove lang ang tinitira ay marami naman diyan sa Boracay ang lumalabag sa batas.

DENR secretary siya. Bakit hindi niya ipahinto at parusahan ang lumalabag sa batas. Ang ginawa niya, dinagdagan pa niya ang umaabuso sa kalikasan.

Bakit malakas ang West Cove kay Atienza? Ang alam doon sa Boracay ang may-ari ng West Cover ay si boxing champ Manny Pacquiao. Front lang daw niya si Crisostomo Aquino na siyang nakalista na may-ari ng resort na naglalambitin sa gilid ng bundok ng Boracay. Matalik na kaibigan ni Pacquiao si Atienza.

Sa Diniwid beach sa barangay Yapak ang West Cove. Sa kabila ito ng barangay Manok-Manok kung saan nandun ang talagang magandang beach. Puno na kasi ang lugar nay yun kaya doon sa walang tao pa sa bandang bundok ng corals pumwesto ang West Cove.

“Dalawang taon na silang nago-operate.Wala silang building permit, wala silang occupancy permit ,” sabi ni Rugen Aguirre, chairman ng Malay municipality committee on laws and ordinances.

Blatant violations

Ang pinaglalandakan ni Aquino, ang pumeprente sa West Cove,may hawak daw silang Forest Land Use Agreement for Tourism Purposes (FLAgT) na inisyu ng Department of Environment and National Resources na kanilang nakuha nang si Atienza pa ang secretary.

Ang FLAgT ay pumapayag ng pansamantalang paggamit ng forest land para sa turismo ng 25 na tao at maaring i-renew ng dagdag na 25 na taon.

Una, paano sila nabigyan ng FLAgT at hindi naman forest ang tinutuntungan ng West Cove. Corals. Pangalawa, kahit may FLAgT, wala silang building at occupancy permit.

Kaya dapat kasuhan ang mga tauhan ng DENR na may kinalaman sa pag-isyu ng FLAgT na yun sa West Cove.

Sa order ni Mayor Yap, hindi na maaring tumanggap ng bisita ang West Cove. Sayang at ngayon na tag-ulan lumabas ang order at talagang kukunti na ang pumupunta sa Boracay. Dapat noong kasagsagan ng summer.

Ngunit kailangan tutukan ng husto itong isyu ng West Cove. At baka ayusin lang ang papeles, tuloy ang ligaya.

Vikings, Mall of Asia: best buffet in Manila?

June 14, 2011June 14, 2011 ajay Leave a comment

I am sick of it. Everyone’s trying to diet. If women, especially, don’t have an appetite for anything, I wonder how their life in the bedroom is. LOL. Probably Boring with a capital B!

Dieting galpals exasperate me because I can’t seem to do it myself. The most success I’ve had with dieting is eating in moderation, and I know that’s not enough.

So yes, here’s some bad news: another buffet place in town. The Vikings buffet at the bay in Mall of Asia looks like it can give expensive hotel buffets a run for their money. Its edge: spacious, well-designed interiors and an extensive selection at only half of the price of what you’d pay in five-star joints. Presently, the rate is P688 for weekday lunch and P888 for weekends and weekday dinner. Kids below 3 ft eat for free and 75 years old and above senior citizens get 50% discount.

The highlights of this buffet:

A frozen yogurt station. Lots of desserts including native sweets, cakes, chocolate fountain & ice cream

Unlimited drinks including coffee, soda, draft beer (!!), juices and shakes ( a shrewd move on the part of the resto since how can we eat more if we’re stuffed full of drinks?) Here’s an interesting sign. It’s about time!

Cuisines offered are Japanese, Chinese, Western, Italian, Filipino and a little bit of Korean. Don’t forget the carving station (it had lechon, roast beef and roast lamb when I visited) Also, the make your own pizza and the make your own salad stands. And the shabu-shabu which is served on individual pots in your table.

Pardon me if I didn’t take many pictures, as I was busy eating

I skipped on the rice and I thought the Waldorf Salad I tasted was awful. However, I gorged on the salmon and the seafood (which Vikings specializes on). I also liked their dimsum, tempura and baked oysters. Yummy!

The miso soup was placed on these beautiful glazed containers.

Looks like the owners didn’t scrimp on the utensils and the place overall. Even the plates have a nice symmetrical shape. I see this place being flocked by people soon for special occasions and functions.

You’ll never get tired of the sushi varieties….

Of course I get nervous that Vikings says on its brochure that P888 is an “introductory” price. Hope they don’t increase their rates soon! and am certainly awaiting their P388 breakfast

Rating: Service is good. They can do better with some of the food, like the salads

Best to avoid this place on weekends when it’s crowded

Vikings (A Feast from the Sea)
Bldg. B, By the Bay
Seaside Blvd., SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City

For reservations, call
846-3888, 0917-5653888

My kalan:something simple, practical, and useful

June 14, 2011June 14, 2011 Ellen Leave a comment

Look what I found one day last February when I went home to our barrio in Guisijan, Laua-an, Antique.

I found this stove being sold for P150 by a barriomate in front of his house. He said he is the one making it. This is how it is when you use wood for fuel which they do in the province.

When you use charcoal, you can close the ‘door” to enclose the heat.

The next day, I went to the market and I saw this for P50. You put it on a stove to prevent the flames from smearing the kaldero.

It fitted my stove perfectly.

Pwede na magluto. Hindi madungis ang kaldero.

Di ba maganda? A real buy: the whole set for P200.

It’s light. You can also bring it for camping.