News Wave-a-Bumping

Amianan Motors have always been known for their reliable and durable customized buses and previously, owner-type jeeps. But as the company expanded to branch out as dealer for Kia, Hyundai and Suzuki cars, it has also opened-up Boating World Resort at San Fabian beach, in Nibaliw. The area has mild waves and free of coral stones so that swimmers and sea lovers could frolick without gathering scratches.

Boating World have always been offering speed boat and banana boat rides. But as head honcho Engr. Eduard Quinones crack-up another innovation (from his motors shop), a news wave is out: the release of the Banca-rera series: Solo and Double.

Besides being the first in the world, Banca-rera has so much to offer: affordability (rent the Solo for only P800 per hour or just about $20, lease a month for only about P15,000 or buy one at about P99,999 only, while the Double costs about P1,000 hourly rental, lease for aabout P25,000 and for sale at P150,000), ease of use, convenience and safety.

Prior to the launch, Engr. Quinones and his team subjected the Banca-rera Solo to a safety and endurance test by submerging it, turning it upside down, and mounted by four male adults. But the Banca-rear remained floating, and it should: it is made of imported stainless steel, fiberglass and marine materials to ensure quality and safety. Sailors, from eight years old to above are strapped with lifevest to ensure double safety while on shore. But the Banca-rera is so convenient to use it allows hands-free maneuver, while speed is controllable with the foot accelerator and to stop, simply push a button with fingers.

The Banca-rera solo is for children and ladies eight years old and above (although a rear passenger may be accommodated) while the Banca-rera Double accommodates up to three adults with the speed of a motorboat.

According to Engr. Quinones, a registered civil and sanitation engineer, the Banca-rera allows about an hour or more sailing to the Hundred Islands. And due to its affordability, barkadas or groups may explore the South China sea so much like riding bump cars. And as many riders already claim, this time, sailors bump the waves instead!

A Call Center Novel, Western Union, Xoom & Door-to-Door

As read in

Pangasinan Express/Northern Express newspapers

A Call Center Novel, Western Union, Xoom & Door-to-Door

The first time I experienced the Western Union (WU) service, I was as impressed as when I was with LBC’s on-time 24-hour delivery (a few years back. But as WU maintains its reputation, LBC has regressed in several of its branches). It takes just a matter of minutes, and when a call or text message takes a minute in sending the tracking number, so it does with WU. The trick is just to be ready with valid government issued identification cards such as an SSS, Driver’s License, even BIR, or Postal ID. Sometimes, school ID with backing current registration form, or company IDs are also honored (so much like most of bank transaction requirements nowadays).

Besides a speedy wire/money transfer, WU exchange rate is much higher than most if not all banks. The only disadvantage of using WU is the high rate of service fees. This has been looked upon by other financial institutions, and here in the Philippines, Equitable-PCIBank, or the Yupangco Group of Companies (YGC) tied up with Xoom, an online to offline international money transfer service, also using Cebuana Lhullier as its outlet. Of course let us presume we know the YGC as the bank, Yamaha, etc. People behind Xoom are from other financial and communication technologies institutions such as Paypal, NASDAQ, Fidelity Ventures, and a lot of the Silicon Valley mushrooms.

In Xoom’s website, money transfer takes a (few) minutes to 24 hours. In reality, it is like bank transfer. Thing with services is that, you will not know its efficiency and style unless you try it yourself. I did, to my dismay. It was a non-banking holiday the next day and I was hoping Xoom worked, not as expedient as WU, but at least, I gambled it would work like a few hours less competent than WU as it charges less than WU, although, there was also a catch: they had lower dollar-to-peso exchange rate (maybe, they have the same rate with the bank) and they charge additional for dollar pick-up/delivery. Nice try.

In short, I had a quite disturbing, literally, non-working and non-productive days from Thursday, non-banking holiday Friday, Saturday until Sunday. Tssk, tssk. So much for trying to control unnecessary expenditures by using passbook accounts… By using Xoom, I would have to adjust to the bank’s schedule. As you see, the hotline provided in their website was Equitable-PCI’s customer service.

Another point for call centers and customer service hotlines: you state a sentence, they answer immediately without-a-pause-what-so-ever with a novel. Of course, I am exaggerating, just quite close. But in short, all the call center lady wanted to say was that, “Please wait until the next banking day,” which was like after 3 more days (but it seemed eternity to me).

So that you’ll then know, “This is EPCI (bank) after all and not Xoom?!!!” And, well, the call center lady answered with a novel, only this time, she repeated the previous novel.

So I said, “I thought I was calling Xoom?” because my question was not answered.

Then the call center lady repeated the novel the third time. You must imagine how I feel. But I know you know how I feel if you’ve tried calling a corporate “customer service” hotline. If I had not known call centers are such a break for my fellow Filipinos, I could have cursed and slammed dunk the apparatus at hand ala Shaquille.

Anyway, there’s another trend with international wire transfers I am experimenting with at the moment and its bank-to-bank wire transfers charging only a one-time depositor fee and one-time receiver fee of about $10-11 per transaction no matter how much was being sent. I will keep you posted on that (as if I have a reader except me? Hello Planet Earth?) Last I tried with BPI, I was only deducted $11 and it took only 3-helluva working days!!! That was years of progression from the previous few months’ 10 working days!

The advantage with WU, banks & maybe, even Xoom is reliability, and the name, if not the so-called “brand”. But door-to-door money transfer still thrives among third world countries (to the chagrined of governments, mafias and the Pentagon guys) because some charge less and deliver right at the recipient’s doorstep reducing the embarrassment of not having institutional IDs. What has the mafias and Pentagon got to do with un-taxed remittances? Ask the banks nearest you… (but I’ll tell you if you try to contact me).

Buying Computer?

Technology and tech terms could be totally Timbuktu for most of the general public, like me. So, when I buy a computer, I make it a point to bring the husband, although I am definite I know more tech terms than him, so that there's someone I can blame for damages later on... But then, maybe, I was just exacting revenge because he was responsible in damaging my last, old reliable mac (I had two in my previous life--- a notebook and a desk top --- this is my third reincarnation, and I am 93 years old).

Here in Urdaneta, I bought the first desk top at JoyComp, 3F Magic Mall. Karen and her staff are very kind and helpful. Then, I had another unit for installment basis at Speed. Hardly used for 4 weeks, the computer bonked out. In most service centers, the usual excuse is "baka na-virus..." Most technicians will tell you that but most technicians don't know a virus from a text message (meaning, its familiar, but what is it, anyway?). It turned out the CD rom was not working as per specification, so, they had to change it. What irritates more was in the middle of explaining your problem, they ask you for receipts which are not even official, to begin with... Bad trip to the first degree! I also wanted the memory cards changed because my programmer said it was of low quality, one that performs erratically when it does not like the humidity, it will bonk-bonk. But the manager said cannot be... I'd like to presume this is one of the disadvantages of installment plans, or for buying at Speed? Since then, i had the unit re-formatted several times... while the JoyComp unit goes well...

In making choices, it is hardly valid to make one unless an experiment was undertaken. And this thing with Speed was not a good experiment at all. Installment or cash basis, I believe that my wasted time and their wasted time for unnecessary shut downs, repairs and hardware exchange is eating my and Speed's resources (but basically mine's). In fact, the unit shuts down without any reason at all most of the time while I was working, while the JoyComp unit, just sitting one meter away continue working!

I am about to purchase again for another unit, but my programmer advised me to try Strings. I would have gone back again to JoyComp if they had stocks, but Strings seem to stock more new items. Besides, my programmer who also buy his items at JoyComp and Strings said both establishments are reliable.

In a highly competitive market, the Total Quality Management (TQM) proponents argue that product and service must be competitive right from the start. The Speed manager reasoned to me why there were "old" and second-rate parts in the unit was because they were disposing old stocks. Thing is, there are a lot of establishments that try to get away with uncomfortable practices like that. My programmer showed the Speed technician that the CD-Rom they placed in my unit was performing below par, and the technician would have insisted everything was alright, until my programmer showed him it wasn't.

I think it is OK to use old stocks as long as these are of premium quality. But to dispose it for the sake of getting rid of old stocks could be hazardous to the customer, and their health... Units that break down in the middle of unsaved document or program is one of the highest cause of stress in the workplace.

And irritated customers that bring units for repair also causes a lot of stress. Good thing, Mr. Speed does not seem to frequent his service shop.

So, Mr. Speed, I hope you don't mind some piece of boomtarattattat in the middle of November... The unit you gave me rattattat most of my unsaved documents, anyway...

Food Trip

Bibingka is one of the most popular native rice cakes, if it must be considered Philippine native food at all. I say so because of its ingredients. Most native rice cakes I know of use mostly natural ingredients: tinubong, the rice cake packaged inside a bamboo variety Ilocanos call “bolo” uses in its simplest forms flour, sugar, and coconut. In its “supreme” form, milk, cheese, butter or star margarine, egg and even vanilla flavor is added. The same can be said of other rice cakes such as patupat (triangular-shaped), tinupig, (elongated) and my favorite sinambong made of diket (sticky rice), tagapulot (muscovado sugar) and wrapped in woven coconut leaves. I have not seen the production of sinambong but some say it is as tedious as tinubong. For tinubong, after mixing all ingredients, the semi-liquid mix is stuffed inside a bamboo hollow measured from one node cut prior to the next node, then, the bamboo is closed with a coconut husk. Dug-up earth holes will serve as oven for baking. The bamboos are lined up on the center hole while beneath it are flaming coals. Recalled from an experience when I was about 5 years old…

As for royal bibingka, my late grandma used to prepare it at least 12 hours prior to baking. The floured diket is sifted through very fine silk net, placed on a bamboo basket or bigao, scattered with strips of banana leaves to preserve its freshness. Egg is beaten with a wooden ladle in a mixing bowl, add sugar, milk, butter or Star margarine (original flavor), a bit of baking soda, finely grated Kraft cheddar cheese, Carnation or Alaska evaporated and condensed milk, and last, the flour. Vanilla may be added, but she preferred the flavor for leche flan. It is cooked in a red clay circular flat pot, with 1 cup per serving to control thickness. Flaming coals supported by galvanized iron on top serves as cover while another flaming coal is set below. Grated cheese is used as topping when it is nearly cooked.

But why go through all the hard work of mixing and preparation if same delectable flavor is within easy reach? This bibingka has been traditionally popularized by Vigan folks. I can recall Tongson’s, then, Mom’s, then, 3 Sisters, and most recently, Marsha’s Delicacy to come out with the same traditional flavor. What made the rest history is that Marsha’s has perfected the flavor I hardly distinguish a bite from my grandma’s. And besides, Marsha’s is now available in many tourist spot of Vigan, at the Partas station, and thankfully, has an outlet at Magic Mall Urdaneta (fronting the grocery). Besides bibingka, Marsha’s also carry in its product line chocolatey brownies, even baked macaroni, cassava cake, calamay (fame of Candon), leche flan, pichi-pichi, ube macapuno and maja mais.

And now that we’re talking about gastronomic delights, I’ll proceed within the confines of Urdaneta. I am a self-confessed Italian dish fan, and been a regular at Sbarro’s for they serve generous tomato sauce with most of their dishes. As there’s not much choices here but commercial flavored Pizza Hut and Greenwich, I have to go look for others. Eating is not just a stomach duty for me. I also like to enjoy eating, and how else but through savoring old familiar flavors and discovering new ones? Found an alternative at Tsaptiks along McArthur Highway in front of CB Balingit Mall. I also dig “eat-all-you-cans” and Tsaptiks hosts one every now and then, and it is how I discovered the place. The price is just about the same as Chowking’s, but why settle for less? Last I heard, there’s an eat-all-you-can going on again. I like best their seafood fried noodles, and dimsums. But there’s an array of Chinese dishes you won’t need to bet your money for.

You see, I am so disappointed with my recent dining at Pizza Hut. I could hardly taste the cheese and tomato sauce. I mean, pizza is all about its toppings and mix of seasoning. And, I used to believe pizza is automatically topped with (mozarella, or melted thick layer of Kraft cheddar) cheese and tomato sauce, and all those Italian herbs and spices. All I could taste was a bland mix of meat preserves (sausages, pepperoni, bacon, et al) and the bread which is no longer soft and supple but something you must struggle with for a bite! Yikes! I have noticed the same with Shakey’s, although Pizza Hut and Shakey’s were previously to me, two distinct pizzas: the other is pan (thick bread) and the other is thin crust, which I both loved. Now, they all taste alike with Greenwich. It’s disappointing how commercialism has gone this low.

Blandly low.

Rough Wood Furniture

The old and natural beauty of furniture has always fascinated me, but who isn't? I have noticed these in supplies at S.I. Jars and Antiques (217 Roosevelt Avenue, Quezon City) as well as used at Cafe Ria (Plaza Maestro Vigan), Saq's Great Clippers (2nd Floor, Villasis Public Market, Pangasinan) and at Escape Internet Cafe and Snack Bar (besides Lyceum-Urdaneta, McArthus Highway).

It must be the cool effect wood exudes, or the sturdy dependable feeling when using these.

But then, it must be my ancestral influence as I grew up in my grandmother's care. She has always kept all her furniture in top condition.

Rozela's Home Decor

Home decorating in the absence of commercial or even independent designers is such a drag. But more so with a very tight budget. So when it comes to practical dressing up of the house, curtains and bedsheets as well as comfy pillows may only be trusted with Bulacan-made Rozela's Home Decor. Located at the 3rd floor of Magic Mall Urdaneta, their practically prized but designer type curtains have a variety of color combinations and themes, with casual everyday as well as classic designs one can choose from. Besides, there are available pillows and cases as well as matching bedsheets you are assured won't run on the third washing, unlike the types you'd find anywhere else.

What's really great about Rozela's is also the quality of sewing and prize. I guess they also accept made-to-order. That would definitely be the catch.

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Homemade Peanut Butter

Jho & Glo's Homemade Peanut Butter

Homemade is a rarity nowadays with mass productions coming mostly from China. Yep. Chinese products from candies to cookies and plastics (tons and loads of them) flood our sidewalks to department stores (seems no one's spared of China's plastics). So that when one discovers a genuine homemade food, it's like finding a rare wine... you cherish and treasure, and relish... Like Jho and Glo's Homemade Peanut Butter. To try theirs, order at (63) -(0)920-8981613. Their address (home, of course) is at 229 Poblacion 5 Villasis, Pangasinan (Philippines). Aren't you done with those generic peanut butters from (aaargh) Canada yet? I mean, when we receive packages, of all goodies, peanut butter from Canada? Strawberry jam from Canada? It's like eating some kind of gummy candies made a little bit softer... I won't switch local homemades for anything imported... When it comes to food, trust your taste buds!

Pizza

Pizza is one of the family favorites when it comes to eating out. We all know Greenwich is OK, as in, fine. And there's no Shakey's nearby in our area (Villasis), although the husband would prefer Pizza Hut most of the time because it stuffs him faster. Well, there's a PizzaHut restaurant in jazzy get up, in and out, along Alexander Street, too. Just beside Metrobank. Dining could have been just normal if not for their savvy "upgrade" offers that quite confused the lot of us. As if we're not inbto cyberspace and all.

One dinner time, we were offered this volcanic upgrade and we were actually fooled into thinking we'd have additional piece for the additional fee, or something. So much like the "regular" offers some... well...years back (from both Shakey's and Pizza Hut).

It only dawned on me that it was just an "upgrade" and not "discount" for another piece we were paying!!! And it was too late because we're through eating, anyway. The lesson is, keep an ear on keywords being offered before saying yes, because the additional price was enough to buy us another family-sized pizza. We could have bought Kraft cheddar cheese if we were just after the cheese within the crate, or bread if you wish! For just a few bucks!

Hardware

Although it is very convenient to shop at DIY (along Alexander Street in Magic Mall) with their ready-to-asist staff and wide array of product choices from glue guns to car accessories and ubiquitous Orocan and other brand plastic cabinets and chairs, there are other choices for hardware shopping, in traditional format. There's Betty's Mini Mart along Aruego Street that also provide a wide range of other house items like bed foams and kitchen wares, school and sewing supplies, vynil mats, upholstery and curtain fablics. But Paz Ang general merchandize just along the entry of Alexander Street from Maharlika highway provide the most competitive prices for most hard ware needs, from hammers to antennaes...

Furnitures

When it comes to furniture shopping, there are a lot of choices from monoblocs to genuine narra from Isabela. But I have a limited post here now since I can only post about real-experience shopping. As in Red Arc Furniture Center. The display area and bodega are in the same location along Maharlika highway in Nancayasan near the Urdaneta arch. They have a wide variety of bed and living area furnitures as they provide genuine Uratex foam. the fiendly manager is a huge plus. There's also Kabayan Warehouse also along the highway with a fleamarket style of products. Although a lot of other furniture shops could be found near side streets of Urdaneta public market.

Grocery & Magic Mall

When it comes to general needs for the home, there's always Magic Mall along Alexander Street. They offer a membership that allows for one percent (1%) discount on all purchases in the department store and grocery alrea, although it is quite a disappointment that the Magic Appliance Center is not applicable for this privilege.

To be able to get a discount card, there must be a one-time or accumulated purchase of PhP5,000. plus one ID photo and fully accomplished application form available at the Customer service counters. Once eligible and issued with the discount Magic Club card, the card may be used in their other outlets, usually, in most Pangasinan towns.

Besides the staple retail services, there are major boutique outlets inside Magic Mall including internationals Adidas, Levi's and Guess, then there's Rusty Lopez, P100 Store and Siento where most items are sold for P100, and also DIY at the ground floor where hardware shopping becomes a friendly set-up...

Ground floor fastfoods include Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Cindy's. Although a lot of the local food stalls also provide for competitive and tasty fares such as Barangay Kakanin and Bantay's pride Marsha's Delicacy.

Urdaneta

Shopping in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan is quite adventurous nowadays as more choices and more merchants are crowding the area starting from Nancayasan along Maharlika highway towards Alexander Street going to Dagupan. And as the Balingit Mall is being rushed to completion, More choices are coming.

Thing is, the Henry Sy Group threatens smaller establishments as talks about an impending SM Carmen is on the way...