Other Areas

[QUOTE=Sam14;1696596]Hai Sweetheart, I miss you. Are you ok?

"I get water near the mountain. No water at home me and my brother, sister and my mother".

No water there Baby?

"Yeah. There a water but far in the house".

Is that the place I was at Baby? Is that temp housing provided by the government after Yolanda?

"Yes it is, but its ok. Even its hard to wash clothes because of no water".

How many minutes walk one direction?

"Half hour,"
"Its ok don't worry.."[/QUOTE]I think in the existing barangay it costs 5-10 pesos for 5 gallons of water at the working well. The temp housing do not have wells. Even many of the Yolanda damaged water wells are not up and running. I talked to one barangay captain and they needed P30-40 k to install a new well, pump and water storage tank to service 200 families.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;1696616] I talked to one barangay captain and they needed P30-40 k to install a new well, pump and water storage tank to service 200 families.[/QUOTE]Maybe someone who knows Bill Gates can talk to him. See if he's willing to divert some funds from the IJM (who he donates heavily to / underwrites) to sponsoring a few new wells. Oh, but wait, that might not garner any sensational headlines; sorry, my bad for bringing it up.

[QUOTE=FatBruce;1696074]

Following day I had a walk round Robinson's on my own. A few girls there but nothing to compare with what I have so declined the offers.

Tuesday I was walking about the square downtown, Montilla street or something. Plenty available there for the guys who want them. Took a couple of numbers, more out of habit than necessity but always good to have emergency back up!

Should have some time to myself later so will do some more hunting![/QUOTE]That's interesting what you say about Butuan. When I have looked at airfares it seems much cheaper to fly into Butuan. For my upcoming travel dates I saw return airfares from Manila to Butuan for $158 but to Surigao was $250.

I still decided on Surigao as my girl is there.

Thanks for the update.

[QUOTE=BrainDrain;1699610]That's interesting what you say about Butuan. When I have looked at airfares it seems much cheaper to fly into Butuan. For my upcoming travel dates I saw return airfares from Manila to Butuan for $158 but to Surigao was $250.

I still decided on Surigao as my girl is there.

Thanks for the update.[/QUOTE]Fat Bruce. May I know the hotel you stayed at in Butuan? I am planning to travel there in November and would like to be close to the malls / shopping.

BrainDrain. I was in Surigao city a few weeks ago. Flew MNL-SUR on PAL. The plane they use is a propeller type aircraft (I posted it earlier) with very little room for carryon baggage. I stayed at the Tavern Hotel, which is right on the water. If you have not been there before, there are no taxis, no cinemas, no Starbx. You have to take a jeepney to Gaisano mall. The hotel is relateively cheap and has a pretty good buffet breakfast, along with good cable channels on the TVs. Enjoy. See my view from my room, and the staff at the front desk.

[QUOTE=MrHawaii;1699651]Fat Bruce. May I know the hotel you stayed at in Butuan? I am planning to travel there in November and would like to be close to the malls / shopping.
BrainDrain. [/QUOTE]There is one modestly mid-high end hotel, Altamont Inland resort ($100+/ night). Decent rooms, nice pool, nice resto. Its across the street from Dottie's Place (a step down to definitely middle of the road, but with a pool, nice outdoor buffet breakfast next to the pool, and standard spartan roomsm and wifi is only available in the lobby and outside near the pool / breakfast area, not inside the rooms -- maddening) P2000-2500. Both of these places are between the two malls. There is a newer Robinson's mall (only 3 floors, and you can walk all 3 floors in 10 minutes) just a few blocks west of the hotels, fairly clean and air-con'd. The opposite direction from both hotels about 1 mile is the older Gaisano Mall (no aircon, but with movie theaters upstairs).

Just north of Gaisano in the rotunda (city hall) is Balanghai Hotel / Convention center, with pool (p2500/ night). Much like Dotties, a bit older, rooms are dated, free breakfast in restaurant, but with good wifi in the room.

Further east is the downtown area (Montilla Blvd, running north / south), just a few blocks from the river. There are several bland / lower-end hotels here, including Karaga (p1400) and VCDU Prince (p950) Hotels. Karaga has a good resto with a good menu. Across the street is Wegool resto, good sizzling meals (fasjitas).

Also downtown by the city square is Altamont Hotel, a sister hotel to the above-mentioned hotel (P2500).

There is little-to-no 'nightlife', other than perhaps a decent live-band joint called Woodstock (between Gaisano mall and Montilla Blvd).

Hi, Alona Beach is nice and recovered from the typhoon and everything else. I recommend you to stay in a resort right by the beach. I stayed at Regents and it was not good at all. Snorkeling costs around p1000 including the fees. I took.

A boat right by Oasis. You need to take your own lunch with you since it is a daylong trip.

[QUOTE=XMan;1695727]I had planned to go to Alona beach (from Cebu) back in Dec. , but Typhoon Seniang put an end to that. I'm going to try again later this month. I haven't been there in over five years. Any tips / advice?

I will bring my own lady and will likely use Ocean Jet. We plan to stay two nights. Last time I stayed at ISIS bungalows (unfortunate name) and liked it a lot. Seems hard to get a booking now, so any alternative hotel recommendation would be appreciated.

What is a fair price for taxi from Tag to the beach? BTW, I'm a snorkeler rather than a diver. I read somewhere that php2000 is about right for a boat hire. Is that right?

Any info would be appreciated. And here is the link to the Ocean Jet schedule. When I went there last time, there were only three rides a day. I guess business is good.

[URL]http://www.oceanjet.net/fare-and-schedule/cebu-tagbilaran[/URL]

X.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;1699882]There is one modestly mid-high end hotel, Altamont Inland resort ($100+/ night). Decent rooms, nice pool, nice resto.

There is little-to-no 'nightlife', other than perhaps a decent live-band joint called Woodstock (between Gaisano mall and Montilla Blvd).[/QUOTE]I stayed at the Altamont three times about three years ago and found it barely tolerable. I also though the food was basically inedible, but things may have changed.

GE.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;1699989]I stayed at the Altamont three times about three years ago and found it barely tolerable. I also though the food was basically inedible, but things may have changed.

GE.[/QUOTE]I was at the Almont in Butuan recently beside the town plaza. The previous time I was there, they were able to pull together a special order for me, a tuna fillet, mash potatoes and some vegetables. This last time they were out of stock on potatoes. They said they'd prepare it for me if I got the ingredients. So I went to the public market and bought a few potatoes, along with a bag of frozen peas I found. Well, the best part of the meal was the water, potatoes and peas. They incinerated that little piece of tuna, it was actually hard on the edges, and tasted kinda foul. I didn't even finish it. Haha. . I couldn't believe it, I just had to laugh. The cost was p260 or p280 for the "meal" plus p100 cooking charge. The only other place I ever found to eat was True Brew Coffee shop about 1 km south on Montilla Blvd. They put on an edible chicken parm, and even a pretty good breakfast omelet.
[QUOTE=WestCoast1;1699882]<Snip>
There is little-to-no 'nightlife', other than perhaps a decent live-band joint called Woodstock (between Gaisano mall and Montilla Blvd).[/QUOTE] There's another little place, if you want to call it nightlife, they call it Freedom Park. It's nothin but a few bamboo type videoke places along the river, just north east of the plaza. Kinda hard to find but that's where the younger crowd hang out and party. I fell in with them one night and ended up dating a cute school girl.

I have stayed there 3 different times. The most recent was February 2013. On all three occasions I had a very pleasant experience. As probably expected, I stayed there with my.

Girlfriend. The security is excellent, as there is a gate post that one must pass to get into the complex, and it is always guarded. The rooms are spacious and clean, and I always had.

Good television reception there, with a great many channel choices. I do not remember if there was WiFi. The food at the restaurant is OK. The breakfasts are excellent, with a buffet.

Style for both lunch and dinner. There are always big events going on at the "resort", including birthday parties, and other various parties for the locals. At night, there was.

Entertainment at the bar area located next to the restaurant. Always enjoyable to watch. The pool is very good, and often the parties just mentioned include many young people.

Swimming. The biggest advantage to staying there is the shopping mall which is located around a 3 minutes walk from the hotel. The mall is the only "thing" to do besides swimming.

There is a decent movie theater in the mall, a food court, as well as a few other restaurants. There is a very good salon there and my GF always enjoys going there. The mall is 4 levels, if I remember correctly, and I think I heard that a new mall just opened, but I am not sure how close to the hotel, if it truly is open. The nights are quiet, and I always felt very welcome by the staff, as well as always safe!

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Geez, the more I read about Butuan, the less appealing it appears. However, after Surigao city, I will stay there for probably 3 nights on my next trip. Did google the hotel supply, and they have a few newer ones. My friend is bussing in from the province, and she wants to stay in Butuan this time instead of Surigao city. So. Will make the best of it. Appreciate all the input. Will look for "girlie" bars, although it appears there are none. Will check out Freedom Park, and any other place where they congregate / socialize. I thought I saw a "Tunes" hotel in Butuan, or was it another ultra-modern sterile looking hotel? Laters.

[QUOTE=MrHawaii;1700355]Will look for "girlie" bars, although it appears there are none. Will check out Freedom Park, and any other place where they congregate / socialize. I thought I saw a "Tunes" hotel in Butuan, or was it another ultra-modern sterile looking hotel? Laters.[/QUOTE]One only goes to places like Surigao / Butuan when you have a sure deal meeting you there (have learned my lesson; provincial girls met on the Internet cannot be counted on 'performance-wise' Very hit / miss.

The hotel you might be thinking of is probably YHotel. Its new, on Montilla. See pics, these were taken recently on the wall at the arrivals area at the BXU airport. Try [URL]http://www.yhotelph.com/[/URL].

West Coast . One only goes to places like Surigao / Butuan when you have a sure deal meeting you there.
The hotel you might be thinking of is probably YHotel. Its new, on Montilla.

Yeah, you are right on both points. My Butuan friend is the same as the Surigao girl, she wants Butuan this time, since it is a shorter busride from her province. I even entertain the thought of taking her for her first airplane ride. And yes, it is the YHotel. It looks rather sterile and small, but the "new" smell is probably still there. Any suggestions? I have never stayed in Butuan, so I can only rely on the maps I find. I want to be near the malls.

[QUOTE=MrHawaii;1701592]Yeah, you are right on both points. My Butuan friend is the same as the Surigao girl, she wants Butuan this time, since it is a shorter busride from her province. I even entertain the thought of taking her for her first airplane ride. And yes, it is the YHotel. It looks rather sterile and small, but the "new" smell is probably still there. Any suggestions? I have never stayed in Butuan, so I can only rely on the maps I find. I want to be near the malls.[/QUOTE]And there is Go Hotel in Robinson's. Twin or King bed, all rooms 1300. I think location is meaningless for all the hotels, when in Butuan you must take jeeps / trykes to get anywhere. Look for a hotel that has the ammenities that you like.

I'm sure some of you have found this frustration, but its a first for me. I'm recently in the province with my gal (previously discussed, early 30's, nothing to look at, but hotter in the sack than a 2-peckered billygoat). I'd decided to do something extra for her (other than the blue note she gets in the mornings before departing to her kids). She mentioned needing some kind of work document, cost about 1000. Perfect, lets try that. She said we would need to go to a government office and make the payment. Fine.

About 10:30 am she txt saying she was on her way to meet me at a coffee shop. 11:30 she txt saying she was just now leaving (7 minute jeep ride). 12:30 she shows up (tardiness is not the frustration, but it can toss fuel on the fire). We hop a jeep, and 20 minutes later the jeep drops us at the government office. The jeep had run all over town before the dropoff. The dropoff was exactly 2 blocks from the coffee shop where she'd picke me up. We blew 20 minutes in a hot jeep to go 2 blocks. That's still not the frustration.

The gov't office was closed. Permanently. A security guard said the new office was in the mall. We jeep to the mall, and as we attempt to enter the office, a security guy says my pinay cannot come in. Why? She was wearing shorts. Really! Really! But, that is still not the frustration.

We were in a province mall, so for p99 we picked up a pair of slacks for her, and she changed clothes in to the slacks. Its now 1:15 pm. She goes back into the government office to file her paperwork (25 minutes in line to get the paperwork). She forgot to take the pesos inside so she had to step outside to get the money from me, which irked the security guy at the door. Once back inside, she paid the fee at the counter (I could see that from outside the office), then she walked away from the window, presumably to grab her purse and leave. But somehow she disappeared, right in front of my eyes. I txt her a few minutes later asking where she was, to no reply. I asked the security guard. "They take her picture soon. She will be back". I walk the mall. Its now 2 pm and she txts: "Coming soon the will take my pic".

I get tired and head to the food court. At 2:25 she txt: "All done. Please come". I go back and pick her up. She hands me a document stating her new documents will be ready for pickup on May 19, and to bring an I Dee to pick up the document. Thinking we are done, and needing a nap, I am ready to depart, hop in a jeep on a hot day, and head back to the hotel. The security guy chimes in with: "Ma'am when you return, make sure you have a Postal I Dee. Its the only I Dee they accept here". She pulled out her Postal I Dee and showed him that she already had one. "No ma'am. That's the old one. You need the new one. Get a new one". [B]Herein lies the new frustration[/B].

I made her stop at the small post office in the mall ask the requirements for a new I Dee. Literally from the two clerks working there: "I don't know". Really! It reminded me a bit like I was standing at the Cebu Pacific counter asking policy questions, only to face blank starting teenage faces. "Just you go downtown to our main office and inquire". So we did, we hopped a tryke and set off. Once there, we had to wait until the clerk returned at 3:30 from her lunch (she departs at 4 pm). She told us that to get a new postal I Dee, the girl should return with:

Birth certificate; Barangay clearance; Marriage license.

"Please return with p414 for the I Dee ma'am and don't forget your requirements. Also it takes 20 days to process".

Whew! Getting closer! HOLY SHIT BATMAN this was turning into a nightmare. I'm sure those documents can be had for a few hundred pesos, but they take time to acquire, and the p1000 project thought of this morning has become a p2000 project and is now time consuming and frustrating. My boss would fire me for spending 5 hours on something and getting no results.

I was curious. I couldn't let it go at the moment. I just HAD TO KNOW. On the way back to the hotel we stopped back in the mall at the government agency. I asked the security guard why they only accept a Postal I Dee for document pickup. "I don't know sir. Maybe you could ask them". He pointed towards the clerks. Well, I think I'll just go ask them. "No sir, you cannot do that. You cannot go in there". Really, is it because I'm not a citizen? "No sir, that is not the reason. You are wearing shorts".

OHMYF*CKINGGAWWWWWD!

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;1701641]My boss would fire me for spending 5 hours on something and getting no results.
[/QUOTE]Merely five hours??? You should be so lucky.


We now have a good explanation why poverty persists here. The poors don't own the correct footwear to get through the gov't office's door. And trousers.

One of my girls was getting jerked about by her previous employer's HR; she needed a tax document. Traveled all the way from Pasay to Eastwood. Wait and wait. Had to leave without accomplishing anything because her work shift starts at 3:30. Returned another day. Wait and wait. Spoke to HR. "Sorry, the guy who can give you that paperwork isn't here today. Come again. Next!" She texted me her woes. I replied, "Don't leave. Get me the phone number and the names of the absent guy and the person you spoke to. " I called a few minutes later, and using an Indian accent (it's an Indian-owned called centre) I identified myself as Mr. Sachin Tendukar from the HR office in India. I asked to speak to the guy. "He's not here today, sir. " Over the next few minutes I explained that we in HR had received a lot of complaints from former employees about HR inefficiencies and I was upset that I, in India, had to take time from my busy day to sort things out in the Philippines. "Are you unable to do your jobs? Why are former employees having to return time and time again to get paperwork? Why is it that only one person in the office knows how to do the paperwork? This is a violation of company policy. Do I need to fly there and replace people?" The berating continued and then I began directing her what to do. Surprise! Will miracles never cease? She knows how to do the paperwork too. Twenty minutes later my girl walks out with the tax document.

Fortunately I was able to do this from the comfort of my own home.

Want some lowlights of the BDO payroll debit account debacle? A lot of workers don't have their own personal bank account (why???). Employers prefer direct deposit, and it's safe for the employee, so BDO created a special account that is in the employee's name, from which the employee can draw funds. Seems like a savings account. Ooops, spoke too soon. The employee is not allowed to deposit money into the account. Why? No one at BDO could answer that. "Your bank doesn't like money?" Silence. When an employee leaves her job the company ought to deposit the final pay packet into the account. For a bizarre reason some companies prefer to cut a cheque instead. See where this is going? The employee can't deposit the cheque. I guess that cheque is an eff you to the former employee. Does BDO make it possible for a person to convert the account to a savings account? Keep in mind that this person is already known to BDO since she has the payroll debit account. Not at all. A white face asking a lot questions soon brings the BDO manager. He makes a phone call, speaks for a few moments, and... surprise! The cheque can be deposited. Jeez.

Filipinos have a patience that I'll never understand. Often it serves them well, but it also allows ridiculous inefficiencies to persist.